Young voices, big impact: Walk the Talk team wins Award

Year 10 students at Parliament House

Last week, we had the privilege of attending the Women’s Community Shelters Organisation event held at NSW Parliament to accept an award on behalf of the Year 10 Walk the Talk Committee. The experience was both humbling and deeply affirming, acknowledging the meaningful change our committee has fostered within our school and broader community. Walking through the historic halls of Parliament felt almost surreal; it served as a powerful reminder that young people are not capable of contributing to social progress, but are already actively helping shape a more compassionate and equitable future. 

Throughout the initiative, we have been fortunate to work closely with Julia Fleming, Education Officer at Women’s Community Shelters, whose guidance was instrumental in bringing She Matters Week to life at our school. With her background in wellbeing and social justice education, Julia helped us transform our ideas into a purposeful initiative that directly supports Parramatta Women’s Shelter – the local Shelter connected to our school through the Walk the Talk program. Her support emphasised the importance of collaboration and reinforced the theme that advocacy is most impactful when grounded in community connection. 

We connected with students from schools across NSW who are also supporting their local Women’s Community Shelters through their own Walk the Talk initiatives. We also had the opportunity to reconnect with Faith Halliday, Board Co-Chair of Parramatta Women’s Shelter, whose kindness and continued support have been invaluable to our partnership with the program. Hearing the experiences and ideas of others reminded us that, while each community’s needs differ, we are united in our commitment to fostering a safer and more supportive environment for women. 

A particularly memorable aspect of the day was hearing from Danielle Miller OAM, the Director of Education and Special Projects at Women’s Community Shelters, and the founder of the Walk the Talk program. Danielle has delivered respectful relationships and enthusiastic consent education to students across Australia, and her ongoing advocacy for women affected by domestic and family violence remains highly influential. Listening to her insights on the program’s origins affirmed that working together with compassion and courage allows us to build momentum toward lasting change — and we are excited to continue that journey.