Sacred Heart School school, on the country of the Nyul Nyul people in the remote community of Beagle Bay, on the Kimberley coastline of Western Australia, caters for 90% Aboriginal students from Kindergarten to Year 10. Lyla Forte, the school’s Principal says the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program emphasied the need to aspire to quality relationships on a daily basis. “Unless … Read More

Every two years the Institute runs a comprehensive survey of alumni from our Stronger Smarter Leadership Program known as the Stronger Smarter Census.  It gives us insights into the implementation of the Stronger Smarter Approach for individuals, schools and organisations. Data from our 2018 survey shows that schools across the country are embedding the Stronger Smarter Approach of high expectations … Read More

Damian Bisogni is a family man, a Dad with 3 boys aged 12, 16 and 20.  Born in Melbourne, he’s been living on the NSW north coast for 20 years.  As a teacher, for the last 15 years he was based at Ballina High School (now Ballina Coast HS), he developed his interest in Indigenous issues and worked to implement better policies and practises for their Aboriginal … Read More

Principal Claudine Dank, says the ideas that Stronger Smarter teaches are important to St Kieran’s Catholic School  with a 17% Indigenous student population and situated on the traditional lands of the Kalkadoon people at Mt Isa. Claudine says the Stronger Smarter Approach fits well with the school’s focus on embedding Indigenous culture. “We have already embedded lots of aspects of … Read More

“For me, it has made sure that I’m conscious, not only in my classroom, but within my stage that I’m setting high expectations for myself and staff and this filters down to the students, using the tools that Stronger Smarter provided.” (Kate Payne)  Kate Payne and Louise Groves, Assistant Principals  Yarning Circles in the classroom After undertaking the Stronger Smarter … Read More

When Warrnambool Primary School Principal, Peter Auchettl, and teacher Jacqui Gore undertook the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program in 2013, they sat down to think about how to integrate the Stronger Smarter culture and ethos across the school. “First we needed to gather information,” Peter says.  “We found out about the local mob and the history and then we made a … Read More

The kids today don’t know our culture.  So this is bringing their identity back and their tribes and where they fit in with people. Auntie Joan Marshall and Tina Butcher, Mount Isa Central State School Tina Butcher and Auntie Joan Marshall believe that making a difference for Aboriginal students in the Mount Isa area has to start from the ground … Read More

Stronger Smarter gave me a lot more focus and better tools in embarking on conversations and setting up processes between people. That was the power in it Mal McFarlane, Bowraville Central School Mal McFarlane says that at Bowraville Central School, they are seeing some great improvements for their Aboriginal students.  “We have had some wonderful HSC results and we are … Read More

We’re really proud to be a Stronger Smarter school… The community ask us ‘what’s that eagle shirt you wear? Tell us about that’…they all know the eagle. Wendy King, Assistant Principal, Casino Public School Wendy’s story is told in collaboration with University of Queensland Social Science researcher Madeleine McGovern This is an edited version of Madeleine’s interview. I spoke to … Read More

“You’ll be successful in any context if you can build strong relationships from the get go. For me Stronger Smarter has been all about being able to connect with a diverse range of people and building relationships with those people regardless of their cultural background” Dave Hartley, Deputy Principal, Coomera Springs State School Dave Hartley is a Barunggam man with … Read More