“It’s very good for learning about yourself and believing in yourself.”
That’s Keely, a high school student from Alstonville, describing her first experience of EmpowerHER Northern Rivers – a new mentoring program connecting young women from five local schools with some of the region’s most accomplished female leaders.
It’s a simple sentence, but it gets to the heart of what the program is trying to do. Across the Ballina-Lismore area, students are sitting across from women working in business, media, agriculture, finance, the creative industries and local government… and starting to see their own futures differently.
Delivered by RDA Northern Rivers in partnership with the Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program, EmpowerHER pairs structured workshops and one-on-one mentoring with access to an online personal development platform. The program also draws on the expertise of Awake Academy, co-founded by seven-time world surf champion Layne Beachley and personal development coach Tess Brouwer, whose virtual sessions on self-awareness and confidence have been central to the workshops so far.
The mentors involved bring their own stories as much as their expertise. Byron Bay International Film Festival Director J’aimee Skippon-Volke drew on her own upbringing when she signed on: “Both my mother and my grandmother were strong, driven women who were fantastic role models for me. As much as on paper we’ve reached a point of equality for women, in reality it’s still a work-in-progress. EmpowerHER will provide meaningful opportunities to help bright and inspired girls in our community forge their path into becoming young women who understand themselves, where they want to go and how they might get there.”
For Melia Naughton of Shire Choir and The Gumboots, the program fills a gap she felt personally: “There was no such program when I was a younger creator, so I’m thrilled to be included as a mentor. I’m looking forward to sharing experiences, knowledge, inspiration and skills.”
Bianca Spata, of Eticore and an RDA Northern Rivers Board Member, spoke to the quality of the cohort itself: “We have a diverse, talented group of young women growing up in the Northern Rivers who have so many opportunities ahead of them. I look forward to helping our mentees discover their spark and build the confidence and determination to achieve their goals.”
RDA Northern Rivers Director of Regional Development Anthony Schreenan sees the program as proof of what already exists in the region. “The Northern Rivers is home to extraordinary women who are leaders in their fields. Through EmpowerHER, we’re creating opportunities to mentor the next generation of regional leaders.”
Following the inaugural workshop in April, students and mentors will reconnect in June and August in Ballina.
EmpowerHER is a vivid reminder that regional communities have everything they need to invest in the next generation: the talent, the networks, and the will to use them.