Over forty regional, rural and remote educators gathering for leadership development workshops

Over 40 emerging leaders from regional, rural and remote schools across Australia are gathering for the final workshops of the 2024 Future Leaders Program.

Teach For Australia’s Future Leaders Program is a one-year professional learning opportunity that assists regional and remote educators to build the knowledge, skills and capabilities needed to be effective school leaders and help all students thrive.

Now in its fourth year, the Future Leaders Program will deliver over 200 Fellows by the end of 2024, with two-thirds of Fellows from previous cohorts securing promotions or higher responsibilities since completing the program.

Succeed through change or challenge: Melita’s story

For Cohort 2024 Fellow Melita Harmer, the Future Leaders Program has been instrumental in enhancing her skills in building trust, managing tough conversations and supporting colleagues.

In her decade of teaching, Ms Harmer has taught everywhere from Perth to Indonesia and is now settled at Karratha Senior High School in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

She credits the Future Leaders Program for giving her access to a community of like-minded educators with which she can share her experiences.

“[The program] has given me a network of people to have conversations with that understand my context,” Ms Harmer said.

Likewise, the Future Leaders Program’s focus on addressing educational inequities has helped her solidify what motivates her to continue her work in the classroom: bridging gaps and providing equal opportunities for students.

“The most rewarding part of teaching is succeeding through change and challenges,” she said.

“It is the joy and satisfaction of building relationships with students, watching them grow, and knowing you can be a positive impact on someone’s life every day.”

As she continues to grow as an educator, Melita remains motivated by the rewards of overcoming challenges and contributing to her vibrant school community, and has hard-won advice for her fellow regional, rural or remote teachers:

“Be the person in a conversation that you would want to have that conversation with.”

The 2024 Future Leaders Program Fellows will complete a three-day virtual workshop series, and the program will conclude with an expo in November 2024.

Learn more about the Future Leaders Program: teachforaustralia.org/our-programs/future-leaders-program