Supporting young Canberra women to realise their dreams

I am excited to announce we have 10 incredible girls and young women, who are the recipients of the 2021 Audrey Fagan Young Women’s Enrichment Grants.

These grants aim to increase women’s participation in decision-making and leadership roles – now and into the future. Each recipient will work with a mentor who’ll help them achieve their goals, while using the funding to pursue their areas of interest.

Some of the projects chosen this year include:

  • Supporting students with STEM projects – including Amelia, a young woman with a disability. She will use her grant to attend a Marine Biologist program.
  • ‘EmpowHer’ which supports the transition from primary school to high school. Run by year 10 “big sisters”, it creates a safe space for girls to participate in fun activities, while building confidence and social skills for students finding high school challenging.
  • The promotion of Indigenous culture, through a reconciliation mural and a clothing range. Grant recipient, Savannah wants to work with students from pre-school to year 10 to create an artwork, that will include images of the plants and animals that live on Ngunnawal country.” While fellow recipient, Taylor is working with her mentor to “draw on Aboriginal cultural heritage to design and create a clothing range to promote reconciliation, mental health awareness, and pride”.
  • A support day for teenage refugees. As a refugee herself, Sali knows the importance of connecting with community groups for information, opportunities, and support. Sali says, “I hope that this will allow for young refugees like me to have a support network, to meet their peers and be supported beyond just in schools”.
  • A publication of student work on social issues, that affects them and their communities.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients. I look forwarding to seeing these projects come together.

/Public Release. View in full here.