STARS FOUNDATION - EMPOWERING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN
Stars Foundation’s mission is to support and enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women to make active choices towards realising their full potential in all aspects of their development and wellbeing. Its purpose is to improve health and education outcomes for First Nations young women.
Since being established in 2015, Stars has provided evidence-based, intensive in-school support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women, with consistently outstanding outcomes among participants.
Stars Foundation has grown from initially supporting 285 young women in the Northern Territory in 2015 to currently empowering and mentoring 3,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women in 62 schools across Australia.
Stars in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales supports First Nations girls and young women in school to identify their goals and reach their full potential.
What We Do and Why We Do It
We know that a good education, including regular school attendance and completion of Year 12, lays the foundation for success in life. According to the Productivity Commission’s Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report 2020, there are significant benefits for young people who attain Year 12 equivalent. Young people who have completed Year 12 have higher levels of mental and physical health and well-being, are more likely to be employed or engaged in further education and training, and are more likely to work in higher-skilled occupations.
Stars support First Nations girls and young women to attend and remain engaged at school, complete Year 12, and transition successfully into work, training, or further study.
Stars provides a cultural safe, holistic program based on strong, trusting relationships. The Stars Room in partner schools provides an environment in which the girls and young women in the program feel understood, nurtured, and inspired.
There are 200 staff, most of whom are Indigenous, and provide students with a diverse range of activities and experiences. These activities support young women to develop the self-esteem, confidence, and life skills they need to participate successfully in school and move into a positive and independent future.
Stars Foundation - Northern Territory
In 2023, Stars delivered full-time intensive mentoring support program for 1,100 students in 21 schools across the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs, Darwin, Humty Doo, Jabiru, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Palmerston, Tennant Creek, and Yirrkala.
The Stars Foundation focuses on four pillars designed to improve health and education outcomes. These includes:
- Education, Training, and Employment - encourages active engagement in education and the development of positive plans for a successful transition into full-time employment or further study.
- Healthy Lifestyle - addresses healthy habits for life, including nutrition, self-care and personal hygiene, sport, and fitness
- Wellbeing - focuses on personal wellbeing and mental health
- Community, Culture, and Leadership - celebrates First Nations culture and encourages activity within communities, which develops confidence and pride.
Casuarina Senior College, Darwin - 75 students in 2023
Moulden Park Primary School - 31 students in 2023
Driver Primary School - 50 students in 2023 & Dripstone Middle School - 56 students in 2023
Centralian Middle School - 44 students in 2023 & Tamimin College - 10 students in 2023
For further information, please visit: Stars Foundation | Supporting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls