Dandenong Journal
Strong New Futures
We recently launched our inaugural Strong New Futures program. This program is designed for young people from a newly arrived and refugee background. It brings together a Journey Program to encourage teambuilding and cohesion and an in-school session where students explore their future educational and employment pathways.
Annual community-driven event creates positive impact for disadvantaged youth
Students from Doxa School Bendigo gathered at Hargreaves Mall on Friday, 27 October for the region’s second annual Ball in the Mall, aimed at making a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged youth by providing them with an experience they wouldn’t normally have.
Located in the heart of Bendigo’s central business district, Hargreaves Mall was transformed into a magical outdoor ballroom comprising a stage, live music, an MC, a dance floor, tables with impressive centre pieces and delicious catering for all guests. Doxa School Bendigo, a flexible learning educational facility, provides a variety of programs for students aged between 12 and 18 who face challenges with mainstream schooling. Principal, John Russell, said Ball in the Mall is all thanks to the local community who are fully committed to driving and supporting this annual initiative.
“Thanks to the local community, the inaugural Ball in the Mall held last year was such a success and this year was no different,” Mr Russell said. “Many students from Doxa School Bendigo would have limited opportunities to attend events where they can work on their social skills and feel part of a community. We work
closely with local individuals and businesses to create events such as Ball in the Mall to boost our students’ confidence both in school and in life,” Mr Russell said.
This year, there were eight debutante couples involved from aged 14 to 21. Each couple was primped and preened at the Bendigo TAFE’s Lotus Hair & Beauty salon, dressed care of Grant Rule Menswear with all debutante dresses donated, then professionally photographed and transported to the event in classic cars from Custom Addiction Classic Car club.
Ball In the Mall debutantes were presented to the honourable Mayor, Margaret O’Rourke, and received certificates commemorating the occasion along with a copy of their portrait and DVD.
One of the key drivers behind this initiative is Haylee Kennedy from headspace. “It’s hugely important to spend time with young people to rebuild connections and engagement that has been lost. Often it takes several attempts and a consistent approach to engage with the youth. Our group has been offering support in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the young person,” Ms Kennedy said. “By coming together as a community, we can make a positive difference to the lives of these youth through offering them an experience they wouldn’t have had otherwise. And in doing so, we’re creating an exciting event in the heart of our CBD.”
Ball in the Mall is an annual community-driven initiative thanks to the support of a handful of individuals, along with Doxa School Bendigo, The City of Greater Bendigo, DHHS, Anglicare, MarShere Dance Studio, Bendigo TAFE, YO Bendigo, Victoria Police, Golden City Support Services, BDAC and an impressive list of local businesses.
ENDS
Media contact: Jackie Smiles | jackie@flourishpr.com | 03 9092 8449
Doxa Future Insights program participant Hue Man Dang
Hi nice to meet you! My name is Hue Man Dang. I currently go to the University of Melbourne, studying a Bachelor of Science. I am 100% committed to making sure that young people have access to educational material and resources.
But perhaps it isn’t – but it is just that I don’t know how to turn it into a compelling story (yet)!
When I first applied for the “Storytelling for Leadership” course, a part of me had no idea what I was getting myself into. I saw the website, looked at the past programs and could not turn away from an opportunity for personal development.
I had only heard about storytelling briefly, but really didn’t know much about it, nonetheless I threw myself in the deep end because I believe that any opportunity no matter how slim, is worth it.
“Thanks to the wonderful Doxa I had the absolutely amazing opportunity of going on adventure into learning more about how I could capitalise on storytelling from a business / social perspective but also personally.”
Notes from the “Storytelling For Leaders” workshop
When the workshop started, we were first paired up to introduce ourselves, and that introduction at the beginning was what I told my partner. Stock standard because society normally expects you to get to the point about everything, but this workshop wasn’t normal, it was a dive into the area of communication and psychology. Firstly, stories all have the same elements, a time or place marker, an event, people and something that has happened.
“From a business perspective, stories convey a business purpose and help contribute to the message of the company.”
Throughout the day, we covered key ideas such as the importance of being authentic, because storytelling isn’t fiction, it is real stories that happen to real people. When it comes to presentations and proposals you are going to get more out of stories that have context because stories are memorable, and are not just abstract terms in bullet points. If you want to make a good first impression (especially if you want to get that job) then your narrative is important, because if your introduction is predictable then people will switch off because they anticipate it.
“Stories show your values as well, and are a good way to build connection and trust.”
At four in afternoon, the narrative of my life was the same, but the perception was different, so I want to tell you a story to illustrate it.
As a young woman who was born in Vietnam, English was my second language and therefore I always struggled with pronunciation (I still do). During one of my debates in High School, a member of the audience suddenly stood up at the end during the comments section and straight up told me that I needed to practice my words more, though she probably didn’t mean it in spite.
But now it doesn’t matter if I can’t pronounce everything. No. What matters most is the story that I am going to tell.
Reflecting on key takeaways from the session (L) Doxa Cadet Jack Choo (R) Hue Man Dang
In the future, I hope to use the knowledge that I have learnt today to give back to the community. I am currently working on a project called Brain Nation Hub which supports young people to build on their skills around leadership and growth, and so I will make sure the story that I tell, will be one that is going to help a lot of people in the future.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank Doxa for this incredible experience, without the organisation, I wouldn’t have been able to learn so much of not just about how I can communicate better, but also learn more about who I am, from such an inspiring speaker.”
Young newly arrived and refugee students will be given the opportunity to build a positive life for themselves in Australia thanks to Doxa Youth Foundation’s Strong New Futures program.
Launching this week (11th – 13th October), the Strong New Futures program aims to connect a group of newly arrived young people from Noble Park Secondary College to education, culture and country.
The first part of the program takes the young people out to Kooyoora State Park in central Victoria where they participate in a three-day outdoor expedition. This gives them the unique opportunity to build teamwork skills, communication skills and the chance to improve their conversational English outside the confines of a classroom.
The second part of the program is a follow up in-school workshop which will provide an insight and exploration into the skills and practical knowledge for further study and to support a transition to employment.
Young newly arrived and refugee students face considerable hardship and disruption to their education and are often several years behind peers. They also face higher rates of unemployment – only 33% find work versus 71% if Australian youth. Doxa Youth Foundation aims to address this disadvantage through the skills and opportunities available in their Strong New Futures program.
Strong New Futures is funded by Gandel Philanthropy and Perpetual.
Ends.
Media contact: Belinda Rowse |browse@doxa.org.au | 03 9046 8207
Pro Bono
N/A – New CEO announcement
Victorian not-for-profit organisation, Doxa, has announced the appointment of Steve Clifford as its new CEO, effective from 2 October
Victorian not-for-profit organisation, Doxa, has announced the appointment of Steve Clifford as its new CEO, effective from 2 October.
Mr Clifford served as Head of Australian Operations of Save the Children Australia where he led a team of 600 to improve program quality, efficiency of service delivery and maximising impact and outcomes for more than 14,000 children nationwide.
Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer at national youth charity, Whitelion. Before transitioning to the not-for-profit sector, he enjoyed a rewarding corporate career at Allens Linklaters law firm.
Mr Clifford comes to the organisation with a passion for its work and programs. He has seen first hand the wonderful impact it has on the lives of so many young people facing disadvantage with more than two decades of experience being involved in Doxa’s programs through his work at Allens.
“My passion for social justice goes back to my own youth and, as my former legal career developed, I found myself increasingly involved in providing pro bono legal and strategic advice to not-for-profit organisations,” he said.
“Helping young people to overcome disadvantage and live full lives has been my passion. I’m looking forward to joining Doxa and build on the hard work of the existing Board and management to take the organisation to the next level,” Mr Clifford said.
The announcement comes as Dr Stephen Silk announces his retirement, following 12 years at Doxa as Director and more recently as CEO.
“Steve is an exceptional leader. We are delighted that he has accepted the position as CEO and we look forward to him joining and leading our organisation into an exciting new chapter,” said Doxa Chairman, Graeme Johnson OAM.
Doxa was formed more than four decades ago on the single principle that all children, regardless of their backgrounds, deserved to have positive experiences outside the confines of their socioeconomic standing. This principle of access and equality continues today.
For the last 45 years, Doxa has provided programs for young people aged eight to 22 years so that everyone can access positive life experiences, educational opportunities and employment pathways.
To more information on Doxa, visit www.doxa.org.au.
ENDS
Media contact: Jackie Smiles | jackie@flourishpr.com | 03 9092 8449
The League of Extraordinary Women hosted the Run The World 2017 Conference
To quote one of the most famous female divas of all time, “Who run the world? Girls.”
At the League of Extraordinary Women’s Conference for 2017, this answer was supported and proven by a range of brilliant female entrepreneurs. It was an event where females, and a handful of brave males, from all backgrounds and industries could share their passions for business while building a network of both professional and personal connections.
As a cadet, I was fortunate enough to be given this opportunity to attend the conference and were it not for Doxa, this would not have been made possible. So, for all those who are interested in knowing more about the league and the secrets to a successful business, here are my top three takeaways from the “Run the World” event.
Michelle Tran at Run The World 2017 Conference
Before the event, I would perceive people who were successful as these super humans who were either born geniuses or were extremely lucky to have accomplished their goals and create a name for themselves in the commercial world. To me, it was such a distant idea that I often would talk myself out of pursuing business ventures before I had even started.
At the conference, however, most of the guest speakers were women who were married and had families. They were women who had day jobs that most would consider normal. It was through hard work and determination that these women could balance building a business with raising young children and maintaining relationships with their partners, friends and family. It made me realise that I did not need any special ability to start a business and pursue my dreams, myself and everyone in the room were already more than capable of doing so already. To summarise with the wise words of Enjo CEO, Barb de Corti,
“you can have it all, but be prepared to work hard!”
Run The World – Melbourne 2017
People often describe entrepreneurship as a long, hard and lonely journey. My interest has always been centred around how people have managed to stay true to their goals in the face of such adversity. All the women from the League spoke collectively about one of the most important factors to their success, which can be described as their “turquoise moment.” To put into context, Spell and the Gypsy founder Elizabeth Abegg spoke about how her passion for turquoise jewels prompted her to join her sister’s jewellery making business to transform it into what is now an international clothing brand.
Many of the women speak about how their intense passions allowed them to take the leap and turn their dreams into successful businesses. It was the fact that they stayed true to their ideas and believed that it was something they wanted to share with others which drove them to put in the long and hard hours to make it possible.
Michelle Tran, Doxa Cadet at the conference
I find that often when I come across an amazing opportunity, I hesitate. Whether it is applying for a university program or even speaking to someone who I admire, there’s always a moment of pause that tends to result in nothing. It has either prolonged or prevented me from doing new things or meeting awesome people. Therefore, the most important lesson I took from the League event was how to stop this. “The moment you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must move within five seconds or your brain will stop you.”
“From now on, if I ever find myself hesitating to do something that will help me reach my goal, I just count to five and act.”
I have found that the fears I once had were all in my head and what I have gained has far exceeded what I was scared to lose anyway.
ProBono
N/A
Alison Polyik is General Manager, Partnerships & Corporate Affairs at Doxa. She was interviewed by ProBono as the “Changemaker” of the week following the announcement that Doxa reached the State Finals in the Telstra Business Awards 2017.
ABC Radio – Afternoons “Making A Difference” with Clare Bowditch
Cadetship
Arif Hazara is a Doxa Cadet and Young Victorian Achiever’s Award 2017 Semi-Finalist. He also represented Australia in UNHCR negotiations with NGOs in 2016. Arif is an outstanding community leader, advocate for young people and refugees, as well as a mentor, role model and representative of our Cadetship program.
As one of the Victorian finalists, Doxa was chosen for its work and commitment to supporting disadvantaged young people to access positive life experiences, education opportunities and employment pathways. This is an outstanding achievement. We are so proud of Doxa’s team and what we have accomplished together – not just in recent years, but over the last four decades.
Doxa was formed on the single principle that all children, regardless of their backgrounds, deserved to have opportunities and positive experiences outside the confines of their socio-economic standing. This principle of access and equality continues and today we are one of the few Victorian not-for-profits to offer programming from primary school years, throughout secondary years seven to 12, and tertiary education.
The awards also showcase business excellence and Telstra Group Executive and Awards Ambassador, Kevin Russell, said: “The Victorian finalists are great examples of innovators and early adopters who have used technology to help them gain an advantage in the market. They show how technology is fundamentally changing the way organisations operate today and delivering enormous benefits.”
The implementation of digital platforms such as Salesforce, Xero, BlueQ and Social Suite are recent examples of how technology has been used to improve operations. We have greater transparency on our funding pipeline, streamlined program registration, and greater visibility of schools that are eligible to participate in programs. Risk and compliance protocols have also be enabled through enhanced links to relevant national databases.
State winners will be announced on the 28 July at the 25th Telstra Business Awards Dinner. Messages of support will be displayed at the Dinner and we’d love to see a short message of support from you on the big screen at the event. Please share your message at telstrabusinessawards.com/mos
Thank you once again for your ongoing commitment and participation in our wonderful organisation.
Dr Stephen Silk
Chief Executive Officer, Doxa
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