The Shooting Stars junior leadership camp, this year held in Dampier, Western Australia, brought together two year 6/7 participants from each WA site for a week of confidence building, leadership and reward.
For many of the girls, it was their first time on an airplane or leaving their communities without their family. They were shy at the start, many only knowing the other participant from their site, however after the first two days they started to come out of their shells, developing their confidence, leadership skills and forging new friendships.
The camp was jam-packed with engaging activities, some of the highlights being:
- Tribal Wars games – this was the first ice breaker game that the girls participated in on the first night. They had to work with new people, come up with a team chant and compete against teams (including a staff team) in various games.
- Cultural Tour by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporations – on the second day of camp the girls made their way to Marujuga National Park, where they listened to Sarah share her knowledge of the Aboriginal groups in the area and their connection to country. The girls then shared similarities and differences in culture from their Aboriginal groups back home, which proved extremely rewarding given the spread of cultures within the Shooting Stars network. It was then time to go on a Petroglyph Tour, where the girls were lucky enough to see rock art of animals including stingrays, kangaroos, quolls and even a Tasmanian tiger.
- Ngaarda Radio – On day three, the team travelled to Roeburne where they were lucky to be hosted by Ngaarda Radio. The team at Ngaarda Radio hosted a workshop for the girls, where they were able to try out media-related projects, such as recording interviews with microphones, photography and videography.
- Shooting Stars Performing Arts Showcase – on their last night in Dampier, the girls showed their creative side in the Shooting Stars Performing Arts Showcase. For the showcase, the girls had to come up with a skit to depict their own version of a dreamtime story. Having spent the week together, they were all super comfortable with each other, getting right into it and giving the group a great show!
The camp, now in its fifth year, is a great opportunity for the younger Shooting Stars participants to step out of their comfort zones and show their emerging leadership skills. Shooting Stars Operations Manager, Latoya Bolton-Black, shared her love of the camp and the impact it has on the girls.
“The junior leadership camp provides such a unique opportunity for our younger participants to explore leadership, whilst being rewarded for their hard work through the year so far. Our girls really pushed themselves out of their comfort zone throughout the week and were empowered to try new things in a safe and nurturing environment, connect and be inspired by young Shooting Star leaders from other communities. It’s amazing to be able to provide an opportunity for them to connect to culture and country in a way that promotes strength and pride in who they are and where they come.”
The next event on the Shooting Stars calendar is the senior leadership camp, taking place in October.
