Leadership Programs
Our programs have been described as intense, stimulating, challenging, and full of humour and personal involvement.
Join our Social Profiles
Leadership Programs
When the Institute first offered our flagship Stronger Smarter Leadership Program in 2006, we had 29 participants for the year. Since then, we have continued to grow to over 20 Leadership Programs a year. We have expanded our offerings to include the Jarjums (Early Years) program, and our Specialists program. Each year we see 450+ new Stronger Smarter alumni bringing Strong and Smart to their schools, classrooms and workplaces.
We know from our follow up sessions, surveys and interviews with alumni, that enacting the Stronger Smarter Approach is making a difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in schools. Every program participant who returns to our follow up sessions reports on having enacted some element of the SSA through their ‘Workplace Challenge’. In our surveys, 80% of respondents tell us they completed their ‘Challenge’ successfully, and 94% tell us that their Stronger Smarter training continues to impact on their workplace practice often many years after attending the program.
Participants in the 2024 Stronger Smarter Leadership Program in Ballina describe their experiences from the program.
Leadership Programs Available
Stronger Smarter Leadership Program
The proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program™ (SSLP) recognises that principals, teachers, support workers, parents and the community are all leaders with a significant role to play in a student’s education, health and wellbeing.
The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program equips you to challenge mindsets within schools to actively engage the school community and staff to enact High-Expectations Relationships, promote positive identities and excellence in schools.
Stronger Smarter Specialists Program
What is my next most powerful step? This question challenges participants in the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program. The Stronger Smarter Specialists Program provides an opportunity to concentrate on how to facilitate powerful conversations in a school community or workplace context.
The Specialists Program enables Stronger Smarter alumni to embed the Stronger Smarter Approach in their school or workplace by focusing on specialist leadership skills and processes for enabling high expectations, excellence-oriented school or workplace cultures.
Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program
The Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program™ caters specifically to Early Years educators to ignite conversations, build relationships and embed the Stronger Smarter Approach to create lifelong learning futures for our Jarjums.
The Program offers new learning frameworks, tools, and processes to enhance your leadership capacity, with examples, activities and conversations specifically directed to the Early Years setting.
Host your own Program
The Stronger Smarter team has flexible delivery options and the ability to set circle in any context. There are opportunities to host a program in your region and connect with other schools and organisations in your region who are seeking to transform education outcomes. We also have frameworks to assist community members to share the Stronger Smarter journey with their local schools.
Get in touch with us today to find out how you can host a Stronger Smarter Program in your region and begin the journey of transformational change in Indigenous education.
Stronger Smarter Leadership Program
The proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program™ (SSLP) recognises that principals, teachers, support workers, parents and the community are all leaders with a significant role to play in a student’s education, health and wellbeing.
The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program equips you to challenge mindsets within schools to actively engage the school community and staff to enact High-Expectations Relationships, promote positive identities and excellence in schools.
Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program
The Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program™ caters specifically to Early Years educators to ignite conversations, build relationships and embed the Stronger Smarter Approach to create lifelong learning futures for our Jarjums.
The Program offers new learning frameworks, tools, and processes to enhance your leadership capacity, with examples, activities and conversations specifically directed to the Early Years setting.
Stronger Smarter Specialists Program
What is my next most powerful step? This question challenges participants in the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program. The Stronger Smarter Specialists Program provides an opportunity to concentrate on how to facilitate powerful conversations in a school community or workplace context.
The Specialists Program enables Stronger Smarter alumni to embed the Stronger Smarter Approach in their school or workplace by focusing on specialist leadership skills and processes for enabling high expectations, excellence-oriented school or workplace cultures.
Host your own Program
The Stronger Smarter team has flexible delivery options and the ability to set circle in any context. There are opportunities to host a program in your region and connect with other schools and organisations in your region who are seeking to transform education outcomes. We also have frameworks to assist community members to share the Stronger Smarter journey with their local schools.
Get in touch with us today to find out how you can host a Stronger Smarter Program in your region and begin the journey of transformational change in Indigenous education.
Stronger Smarter Leadership Program
The proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program™ (SSLP) recognises that principals, teachers, support workers, parents and the community are all leaders with a significant role to play in a student’s education, health and wellbeing.
The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program equips you to challenge mindsets within schools to actively engage the school community and staff to enact High-Expectations Relationships, promote positive identities and excellence in schools.
Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program
The Stronger Smarter Jarjums Program™ caters specifically to Early Years educators to ignite conversations, build relationships and embed the Stronger Smarter Approach to create lifelong learning futures for our Jarjums.
The Program offers new learning frameworks, tools, and processes to enhance your leadership capacity, with examples, activities and conversations specifically directed to the Early Years setting.
Stronger Smarter Specialists Program
What is my next most powerful step? This question challenges participants in the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program. The Stronger Smarter Specialists Program provides an opportunity to concentrate on how to facilitate powerful conversations in a school community or workplace context.
The Specialists Program enables Stronger Smarter alumni to embed the Stronger Smarter Approach in their school or workplace by focusing on specialist leadership skills and processes for enabling high expectations, excellence-oriented school or workplace cultures.
Host your own Program
The Stronger Smarter team has flexible delivery options and the ability to set circle in any context. There are opportunities to host a program in your region and connect with other schools and organisations in your region who are seeking to transform education outcomes. We also have frameworks to assist community members to share the Stronger Smarter journey with their local schools.
Get in touch with us today to find out how you can host a Stronger Smarter Program in your region and begin the journey of transformational change in Indigenous education.
Accreditation
Teacher Quality Institute (TQI)
The Stronger Smarter Leadership Program is approved for
20 hours of TQI accreditation in the ACT. Also, the Introduction to Stronger Smarter Online Module is approved for 8 hours.
I've used the idea of high expectations that I've learnt through the Stronger Smarter Institute to teach it to the kids and teach it to the staff. As soon as those expectations slip, if we set the bar too low kids will jump to that height. We should always be pushing them higher and having high expectations for them.
Luke Hayward
Teacher
In the components of Stronger Smarter, we see the Community Sphere as really important in providing a culturally safe space in this school and using local knowledge holders to support the teaching of Aboriginal studies.
Raelene Fox
Head Teacher Transition and Engagement
We took some of the learning that we did in Stronger Smarter and looked at how we could better engage our students. Making the relationship stronger and getting them talking more.
Trevor Green
Education Mentor
The Stronger Smarter Leadership program was impactful on me personally and professionally. It took a little while for the learning to settle in and shift my thinking. Over time I changed how I understood high expectations relationships. I came to understand the true meaning and impact. Since we have started doing the work around expectations and saying to the kids look you know you can do this, we’ve seen their behaviour and learning improve significantly.
Peter Howes
Principal
I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity I had to participate in your programs. I have great memories, and it is what inspires me in my work. I just wish more school could see the value in sending their staff!
Yvonne Terweeme
Teacher
Stronger Smarter has taught me how to embrace my culture as well as implementing change within my office and hopefully across my organisation that not only allows for my culture to be respected but that we have a Higher Expectation of our staff to engage with clients and form relationships that will last over time.
Diane Darcy
Manager, Forsyths Coonabarabran
The training I attended was interesting, engaging and very thought provoking. It has stayed with me and I am keen to continue to learn, grow and improve personally and to build capacity across my state team.
Julie Walker
General Manager
I have really enjoyed the Stronger Smarter course and it has helped me reflect on what is truly important to me as an Indigenous educator and where we are heading. It has been impactful talking about our past, not letting it hold us back, but to give us strength and courage to move forward.
Uncle Mick Saunders
Aboriginal Resource Teacher
Since embedding the Stronger Smarter Approach within our school, we have developed a common language and actions that support student success. Students can articulate what it looks and feels like to be successful Aboriginal students, staff can articulate what their role is in developing successful students and community can articulate what they want to see within our school to support their children as successful learners.
Nikki Sandilands
Principal
Stronger Smarter has helped me to develop multiple perspectives when dealing with challenges faced within schools and the community. Stronger Smarter has given me skills where I am able to provide creative solutions to supporting meaningful engagement for students.
Paul Mclauchlan
Teacher
High-expectation relationships form the basis for all teaching and learning. Changes have been phenomenal and life changing for my school, staff and students.
Jo Tozer
Principal
A huge thank you for what you are doing as an institute. You are changing lives and the profession of teaching for the better and I hope to further my school's understanding of the Stronger Smarter.
Emma Oriel
Senior School Teacher
I loved the fact that when we did the training it forced you to slow down and actually think about what’s happening. It really then shifted the way we are doing things even into our executive team. The training gave us the language to bring back to staff the idea that Aboriginal education is everyone’s business.