Over 150 girls from member schools of the Alliance converged on the Gold Coast for the 17th Student Leadership Conference held at Bond University. Students from New Zealand, Asia and the USA joined their colleagues from Australian girls’ schools in the five-day residential conference. The girls were all school leaders about to begin their final year of secondary school. The conference program was designed specifically to give young female leaders the skills and confidence to step up and make a difference. One of the more exciting challenges of the conference involved aerial helicopter photography as all 153 girls worked in small teams to create body words on Southport Beach. Precision teamwork and organisational skills were tested as the girls negotiated, planned and executed each move.
An esteemed line-up of inspirational speakers including US social entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Same Sky – Francine LeFrak, and the first female Secretary General of the Australian Olympic Committee – Fiona De Jong, presented keynotes. Held annually the conference focuses on developing leadership capability and assisting young women to manage the responsibilities of leadership. Each year as the girls return to their schools, they claim that they have had life-changing experiences. The program simulates the way girls will operate in leadership teams within a school context. The high calibre of the girls will make the experience very valuable. These are tomorrow’s leaders, empowered young women ready to take on the challenges of leadership in their schools and beyond – to boardrooms, ASX companies and government.
Click here to view a newspaper story on the conference from the Gold Coast Bulletin