60 young women from multicultural backgrounds aged 15 to 24 take part in ‘Lead the Way’, a collaborative youth leadership initiative which supports the next generation of community leaders.
The program supportively challenges cultural stereotypes that many young women from CALD backgrounds face with a view to:
- building greater self-awareness of each participants’ inherent strengths and resilience,
- developing new skills to quip young women to navigate employment and community pathways,
- mentoring support with existing women’s networks and role models for ongoing learning and personal growth
The initiative is funded by the NSW Government’s COMPACT Alliance Program and managed by MCCI in collaboration with the Office of Sport, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, SCARF Refugee Support and the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.
This program had a big impact on the girls who attended. As a result of information and skills developed during the course, students from refugee backgrounds have been able to network, obtain employment opportunities, and mature dramatically in their self-awareness and confidence.
Teacher – Wollongong High School