Aspirations Day

Koorie Student Aspirations Day - 4 and 5 April, 2022

An Open letter to schools

Congratulations to all involved in the Koorie Student Aspirations Day 2022. The event was enjoyed by several hundred Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students from Government, Catholic and Independent schools from across the Geelong and Colac regions. We appreciate the attendance of your students and staff, and the value placed on prioritising this important school event for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in years 7 – 12.

The event was held on Wadawurrung country and was supported by the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (LAECG). At the beginning of the first day, Wadawurrung Traditional Custodian Corrina Eccles, welcomed everyone to the GMHBA Stadium.

The 2 days provided an opportunity for students to hear from inspirational young Indigenous role models such as Isaiah Firebrace, a Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmara man who was the winner of the 2016 Australian X-Factor and the Australian representative at the 2017 Eurovision.

Students participated in a ‘speed sharing’ activity engaging with representatives from over 35 organisations including TAFE, universities, building and construction organisations, unions, employment agencies and local Indigenous pathways.

The Polly Farmer Foundation staff and Alumni ran workshops on goal setting and students participated in a range of activities including hip-hop dancing, art, traditional Indigenous games, AIMe leadership workshop and Clothing the Gaps Foundation campaign Shades of Deadly.

Thank you to everyone who supported, donated to and sponsored the day. We look forward to seeing you at Koorie Aspirations Day 2023!

Please follow this link below to view a video of the day

The artwork that celebrates our Koorie Aspirations Day is called Wootyook and is the creation of Tarryn Love, a proud Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong woman. In Tarryn’s language, Wootyook means Star and the words Mok Borriyn mean proud in Wadawurrung language.

Wootyook, is your own bright shining star. Each Wootyook is as internally diverse as the person themselves, not only for the way they shine, the strength and power they hold, but also for the different futures they can imagine. First Nation peoples have known for the long time behind us and beyond us, that our Wootyook’s can shine despite any struggle and will always lead us in the right direction.

With thanks 

Aunty May Owen - LAECG Chairperson

Kate Campbell - LAECG Co Chair