A group of teenagers from remote and regional WA had the experience of a lifetime during the annual Shooting Stars Leadership Camp in Perth last week.
Ten Shooting Stars Program participants from Year 9 to Year 12 undertook a range of activities over an action-packed few days and have returned to Carnarvon, Mullewa, Meekatharra, Narrogin and Leonora determined to deliver projects for their communities.
Among the highlights of the Camp for the participants was presenting West Coast Fever players with their Indigenous Round dresses during a dress blessing at the State Netball Centre and then attending the Club’s round eight win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds at RAC Arena.
Fever Captain Courtney Bruce, who is an Ambassador for Shooting Stars, was delighted to welcome the participants.
Bruce, Coach Stacey Marinkovich and fellow Ambassadors Jhaniele Fowler and Verity Charles also held a Leadership Session with the students during the Camp.
“To have the Shooting Stars girls here down here in Perth and helping in the presentation of our dress, I just think it’s absolutely fantastic,” Bruce said.
“I know a few of the girls already from a few of the sites but to get to meet the new girls and see how much they’ve come out of their skin and how confident they are in front of the camera, it’s always great to have them down here.
“I love being able to connect with the girls, I love being able to visit the sites. I just think Fran and her whole team are doing a fantastic job with the young girls who are coming through the Program at the moment.”
The participants also had a Leadership workshop with the West Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute, a tour of innovative Start-Up Hub Bloom and St Catherine’s College, a session at the UWA’s School of Indigenous Studies, a visit to the Saracen Mineral Holdings Perth office and an appearance on Noongar Radio.
Narrogin Year 9 student Alysha Ryder said she loved the experience.
“It was a great opportunity to show them my leadership skills because it was so hard but then I got out of my comfort zone and showed them what a leader would do out there,” she said.
Her Narrogin schoolmate Maya Wilson also said the camp had taught her to be more confident and showed her the opportunities that exist when she finishes Year 12.
The participants will now deliver projects to their local communities, with a deportment class and fashion show planned for Carnarvon.
Narrogin students want to hold primary school engagement days to pass on Shooting Stars values, while they also want to complete hospital visits or sessions with elders.
Shooting Stars Executive Officer Fran Haintz said the Camp had been invaluable for their participants.
“This is the fourth year the Shooting Stars Leadership Camp has been run, with close to 50 young girls now benefiting over that time,” Haintz said.
“The camp has evolved.
“It is a great reward for our participants’ engagement in our program, but it is also about introducing them to post-school pathways and meeting other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are doing just that and are leaders in the community.
“We are excited to see what these girls do after having this unforgettable experience.”
