SRC Future Leaders Conference
Hi Fortians, SRC Execs here!
The first in-person Future Leaders Conference, organised by the Fort Street High School Student Representative Council, was held on the 26th May 2023, where 245 student leaders from over 30 public secondary schools across Sydney and the Central Coast came to Fort Street High School. The theme was “Reclaim Our Future”. We had schools from as north as Merewether and Gosford, as far south as Macquarie Fields and Caringbah, and as far west as Penrith. Thank you to all the amazing public selective, partially selective and comprehensive schools who attended! We were honoured to organise this celebration of public education.
Year 11 Fort Street students and Year 10 Peer Support joined FSHS SRC and the guest students for the morning session with the keynote speakers the Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG and Zoë Robinson, with MC for the day Kalanie Prabhakar (SRC President). We had the opportunity to ask questions in response to the speakers’ silver bullet that will change the future. The Hon. Michael Kirby gave an amazing speech about working towards ending discrimination, and how he helped to stop discrimination against First Nations peoples in the cinema at Walgott, Central NSW, when he was President of Sydney University’s SRC. Zoe Robinson gave a really engaging presentation, and we heard all about the work she does as the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, and as a highlight, her experiences defending death row inmates in Texas.
The day continued with an impactful panel session facilitated by the awesome facilitator, Dr Sunil Badami, and panel members Diana Zhang, Marian Casey and Heather Pym. Diana Zhang told us about her innovations working towards diagnosing Parkinson’s, and amazed us with her talents in both music and science. Marian Casey provided insight into her volunteering experiences as Deputy Commissioner of St. John’s Ambulance, mentoring of over 3,000 volunteers across NSW, and her achievements in improving the diversity of St. John’s Ambulance – including creating a St John’s Ambulance float for Mardi Gras! Heather Pym inspired us by her co-creation of Future Leaders for Gender Equality, and her advice on finding a passion and becoming a leader. We felt so inspired by their incredible experiences, and their tips and tricks on how to be a leader. We thank Dr Badami for running an incredible, entertaining session!
Fort Street High School Year 10 SRC and Executive ran the afternoon session that informed youth on the Uluru Statement of the Heart. We discussed the themes of the Statement, Voice, Treaty and Truth, and listened to the Uluru Statement being read for the first time – coincidentally, six years ago on the 26th of May!
We ended the Conference with a group photo at the sandstone seating on the Oval, in front of a “Sea of Hands” that each guest student placed in the shape and colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. What an amazing day!
The Future Leaders Conference was a free-of-charge event, providing morning tea and lunch to all guest students, that aimed to be accessible to all public schools. We thank the P&C for supporting this event and covering the costs for the Future Leaders Conference. We would also like to give enormous thanks to Ms McMurray, Ms Cameron, Mr Galvin, Mr Morrison, Mr Leondios, Ms Long, and all office staff for helping out tremendously with this event, and for their continuous support of the SRC.
Checkout our video from the event: