Minister for Women’s Interests Simone McGurk paid a visit and shared stories with the Shooting Stars team, as they gear up for another year of supporting Indigenous young women’s well-being and improved attendance at school.
Shooting Stars, an initiative of Netball WA and Glass Jar Australia, uses netball to help improve educational engagement and attendance at school for young Aboriginal girls who live in Western Australia’s remote communities.
The Minister’s history with Shooting Stars started when the program caught her eye while cheering on West Coast Fever at their Indigenous Round in 2017.
“Girls from the different communities came down to watch the game, so it was lovely to meet them and have a bit of a chat with them,” McGurk said.
“I’m Minister for Women’s Interests and my job is to make sure every girl in WA has the opportunity to be what she wants to be, the best she can be,”
“It’s clear to me that Shooting Stars is helping Aboriginal girls in different towns and communities.”
The goal of Shooting Stars is to continue to affect genuine change, and set students on a path to fulfil their aspirations.
“Sport is a great way to engage young people, it’s a good opportunity not only for people to let off a bit of steam, but it’s a community, it’s a way of building other skills,”
“Putting good sport infrastructure around teenagers and young people is a really good way of giving an alternative path”
“Shooting Stars is doing a great job of doing that.”
The Minister said she hoped to see Shooting Stars continue to grow and in turn help young women reach their potential.
Shooting Stars is proudly supported by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, who reaffirmed its support of the program in November, extending the current partnership for up to three years, including $1.5m funding committed in the first year.
