Yalari

Over the weekend, some of our Yalari students attended the Straight from the Strait theatre show 🎭 It was culturally powerful, educational, emotional, funny and entertaining all in one production.

The students agreed that it was the best theatre performance they’ve seen! They left with a deeper and prouder understanding of Torres Strait Islander culture and history 💚💙🤍

Last week, Founding Director Waverley Stanley AM, Chair Bruce Davidson and Student Support Officer Nadia Martich visited Yalari’s partner school Methodist Ladies’ College in Perth.

What a joy it was to see alumna Summer Lowe’s (Class of 2023) beautiful mural depicting the school community.

After graduating MLC, Summer made the move to QLD and is currently completing her first year of a Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at Griffith University.

Over the weekend, our Year 12 Yalari cohort visited Parliament House as their high school journey nears its end!

It feels like just yesterday when these 26 bright individuals joined us at Orientation Camp, full of both excitement and uncertainty about the future. Watching them grow into the remarkable young adults they are today has filled us with immense pride.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for this incredible group of young people. Congratulations to our Yalari Class of 2024! 🎓✨

Over the weekend, some of our Yalari students participated in the Year 11 Pathways Camp at Bond University, designed to help them explore future career options. The camp featured an engaging careers roundtable with some of our supporters, giving students the opportunity to ask questions and gain insights into different professions.

The camp wrapped up at the Titans vs. Roosters game on Sunday, all thanks to the Gold Coast Titans for generously donating tickets. Another big thank you to RACV for sponsoring the weekend and supporting our students in discovering their career paths!

Last Friday, the incredible team at Hall & Wilcox took on a 90km relay from our partner school St Margaret's Anglican Girls School in Brisbane to The Southport School on the Gold Coast, all in support of Yalari 👉 https://bit.ly/3LrF7e6

Some of our Yalari students boarding at TSS came to meet the team at the finish line and congratulate them for raising $10,750! Thank you Hall & Wilcox for this fantastic initiative and for all your support! 🌟

This is your last chance to secure tickets to the 2024 Yalari Brisbane Gala Dinner 👉 https://bit.ly/4enG1Wn

📅 Thursday, September 5th
📍 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

With limited tickets available, be sure to purchase yours soon for this spectacular evening. We can't wait to celebrate the achievements of our students and alumni, and connect with our incredible community of Queensland supporters ✨

"Last Friday evening at the Sofitel in Sydney was another night where I felt our guests were standing beside us: our Yalari students, alumni, and all Indigenous people of Australia. We share an everyday purpose of educating Indigenous children and a vision of a future where Indigenous people can do and be anything they want to be.

Cameron and Kymarni opened the evening and acknowledged country with respect and reverence. Rita stole our hearts and transformed us to her island home. Kyol and Sheldyn reminded us of our favourite teachers. Keely let us know that we all have our own pathways to arrive where we are supposed to be. Our Abbotsleigh girls danced with the grace and knowledge from another time.

Many thanks to all of our 500+ guests, a sold out room, for celebrating, giving, laughing and listening to our stories, hopes, and dreams for the future.

Next up, the Brisbane Gala Dinner in less than 3 weeks’ time." - Waverley Stanley AM, Yalari Founding Director.

Thank you to Jenny Mitchell for capturing the evening with these wonderful photographs!

Carolyn Vincent, CEO and Founder of the Ubuntu Foundation, has kindly committed to fund a Yalari scholarship over 2 years commencing in 2025.

For Carolyn, the word ‘Ubuntu’ means community, representing our interconnectedness and our innate ability to tackle societal issues through fostering connection.

Growing up in a close-knit community in India, Carolyn deeply resonates with Yalari’s mantra that ‘it takes a whole community to educate a child’.

Welcome to the Yalari mob, Carolyn.

Our vision for Yalari’s future is to become one of Australia’s great and enduring educational and leadership foundations, empowering Indigenous individuals from remote communities across our nation. Learn more at yalari.org ✨

Last week, Yalari alumni completing their Certificate IV in Indigenous Leadership at Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre- RTO 88105, gathered for their final in-person session ✨

Our lunchtime break began with a heartfelt Welcome to Country by Alfie Summers, followed by inspiring speeches from Andrew Hegedus and Uncle Rob Bryant on their own background in Indigenous leadership. Lastly, Yalari Chief of Staff Stacey Lacy shared her own pillars to becoming a successful leader.

A big thank you to RACV for hosting us at the Royal Pines Resort, and facilitating our 3-day gathering!

You're invited to the our annual Melbourne Cocktail Function on Wednesday the 23rd of October 👉 https://bit.ly/4fB5GLR

Join us at RACV City Club on Bourke Street in Melbourne for a night of inspirational speeches, auctions, raffles and good company, as we come together to celebrate the achievements of our students and alumni, and the shared dedication of our supporters in Victoria ✨

There are many ways you can support Yalari and help empower Indigenous children 🌟

1. Sign up for a fun run, like the upcoming event, and select Yalari as your chosen charity to support and raise funds for.
2. Attend our upcoming Brisbane Gala Dinner on the 5th of September.
3. Share our student and alumni stories on social media!

What other ways do you show your support for Yalari? 👇

Here's a glimpse of just some of the inspiring achievements our Yalari students have made in Semester 1 🌟 From K'Sharnae getting an A in her science assignment, to Ruby being selected as House Leader, we're proud of all our students for all that they have achieved in 2024 so far!

RACV and Davidson were both invited to attend our inaugural leadership camp in Central Australia. Both organisations have provided exceptional support to Yalari, our students and alumni ✨ https://bit.ly/4dmad2L

"We are all very much looking forward to seeing how we can partner with Yalari, and their friends in the regions, to do more to help Yalari educate Indigenous children and hopefully see the experience we had become available to others." - Neil Taylor, MD & CEO, RACV.

"The camp provided us the opportunity to connect deeply with the land, learn from fellow executives, and strengthen the bonds of trust, communication, and connection among ourselves." Trent McMahon, CEO, Davidson.

Thanks to TradeMutt, our students and alumni are now sporting the latest funky workwear shirts.

TradeMutt's support for tradies' mental health, as well as their commitment to helping Indigenous Australians aligns with Yalari's mission to create a brighter future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Together, we're making a meaningful impact! 🌟

On the 23rd of August, the team at Hall & Wilcox will be organising a relay run from Yalari boarding school St Margaret's Anglican Girls School in Brisbane all the way to The Southport School on the Gold Coast, to raise vital funds for Yalari!

Well done to the Hall & Wilcox team for already raising over $1,400 to support the future of Indigenous Australians 👉 https://bit.ly/3LrF7e6

The 2024 Yalari Brisbane Gala Dinner promises to be a spectacular evening celebrating the achievements of our students and alumni ✨

Over a three-course dinner, this event is an opportunity to connect with supporters, and hear from our students and alumni about the impact Yalari is having on generations of Indigenous Australians.

Secure your ticket today or enquire about sponsorship opportunities 👉 https://bit.ly/4enG1Wn

What better place to connect our Yalari alumni and supporters than in the great Australian Outback?

Our aim is to support Yalari graduates to strengthen their communities, maintain cultural ties, and advance as influential Australians, with our invaluable supporters by our side.

"The Yalari way produces kind, considerate, generous young people, who will be leaders in the near and longer term." - Andrew Carter, Founder and CEO of Commercial Eyes Pty Ltd

Last week, our Yalari Churchie and St Margaret's Anglican Girls School students visited Musgrave Park in Brisbane for a NAIDOC Week event, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate culture and connect with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community!

Our Year 9 boys have recently returned from Outback Camp after a week of travelling from Alice Springs to Uluru via Kings Canyon. The boys enjoyed yarns around the campfire, spending time connecting to country, smoking ceremonies and making nula nula, or hunting sticks.

"Great trip all round. It was a pleasure and a privilege to share the experience with all the Yalari mob." - Volunteer Mark Ellis

The Yalari 'Pay it Forward' Art Show will be held next week during NAIDOC Week, where current Yalari students will be fundraising to support a future student through a Yalari scholarship 🖼️

Held at The Write Gallery at The Lighthouse Toowoomba, opening night will be held on Wednesday the 10th of July at 5:30pm, including a silent auction and featuring incredible artwork from students and local artists.

Workshops will also be held throughout the week including basket weaving, painting gumnut earrings and more 👉 https://bit.ly/4coI8ba

With only 5 days until June 30, we're reaching out to you, our valued supporters ➡️ https://shorturl.at/5xck6

Your generosity during this tax time allows us to continue our mission of creating generational change for Indigenous Australians through education.

Every donation of $2 and above is tax-deductible, and regardless of size, each contribution helps create a brighter future not only for Indigenous Australians, but for our nation as a whole.

Join us in empowering dreams, creating equitable opportunities and brighter futures for Indigenous children across Australia.

That's a wrap for the Year 9 Girls Outback Camp!

24 girls on Yalari scholarships from all over Australia spent 7 days travelling from Alice Springs to Uluru via Kings Canyon.

With much laughter, good food, culture experiences with local Aboriginal families, hundreds of miles, great conversations and sleeping under the stars in swags, the girls flew home with a renewed connection to each other and solid friendships forged.

Thanks to Yalari staff, Ari, Josie, Phoebe, and Urshula who worked so hard and joined Waverley and Llew for the trip.

‘This country is alive, it can heal you, soothe you and speak to you if you take the time to listen’, Waverley Stanley