1. Artwork by Clontarf Girls Academy
Program: The Girls Academy
Delivered by: Role Models and Leaders Australia (RMLA)
Prospectus &leaders australiadeveloping young leaders for tomorrow
Girls are THE most powerful catalysts
for change on the planet.
United Nations Foundation, 2013
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2. Investing in women and girls has a powerful impact.
It WILL make the world a better place for all,
both women and men.
This is THE breakthrough strategy
for reaching development goals.
United Nations Development
Cooperation Forum, 2010
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3. Our Mission
Australian Indigenous girls face some of the greatest social disadvantage of our nations
population. In every social measure, Australian Indigenous Girls trail their non-Indigenous
peers. This gap appears in health, education, employment opportunities, earning capacity
and life span.
As the future mothers and leaders of the Indigenous community, strong and educated young
women are critical to closing the unacceptable gap in well-being that exists between Aboriginal
and non-Aboriginal Australians.
An educated girl is an active and productive community member. She is the most influential
force in her family and wider community to break the cycle of disadvantage and to build a
healthier family, a stronger community, and a brighter future. But too often, a girl who could
change her world for the better is locked out of that future due to the circumstances of her
environment.
The Role Models and Leaders Australia (RMLA) Girls Academy program works within the
school system to drive community-led solutions to
reduce barriers that prevent adolescent girls from
completing their education.
An Academy girl can shape her own destiny,
lift up her family, and transform her community.
Increasing the educational outcomes achieved by young
women from Aboriginal & Torres strait Islander backgrounds
is particularly important to not only them, but their families
and communities, as women are often instrumental in bringing
about social change in disadvantaged communities.
(World Health Organisation, 2014)
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4. About Us
Founded by Olympian and champion Basketballer Ricky Grace in 2004, RMLA is the leading
provider of school-based programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in Australia.
RMLA is a not-for-profit charitable organisation which develops and empowers Aboriginal
girls through leadership training, sport and extra-curricular education programs.
Academy Locations
WA: Broome Senior High School, Broome Clontarf Aboriginal College, Perth Derby District High
School, Derby Fitzroy Valley District High School, Fitzroy Eastern Goldfields College, Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie Boulder Senior High School, Kalgoorlie Kununurra District High School, Kununurra
Newton Moore Senior High School, Bunbury Roebourne District High School, Roebourne NT:
Centralian Middle School, Alice Springs Centralian Senior College, Alice Springs Palmerston Senior
College, Palmerston Rosebery Middle School, Palmerston West Arnhem College Jabiru West
Arnhem College Gunbalanya NSW: Coonamble High School
Program Snapshot: The Girls Academy
Adolescent girls are the most powerful catalysts
for change on the planet.
A girl with access to education, healthcare,
voluntary family planning and jobs, and a safe space for her and her peers will
increase her family and her community's wealth, as well as contribute to her
country's GDP.
Just one extra year of education boosts a girl's earning power by ten to 12%.
An extra year of secondary Education doubles those figures.
- United Nations Foundation
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F or more information, to P artner with or Support R M LA, contact;
Johanna Ramsay | Director of Corporate Relations | p: 1300 833 904 | f: 08 9227 6400
m: 0409 887 365 | e: johanna@rolemodelsaustralia.com | rolemodelsaustralia.com&leaders australiadeveloping young leaders for tomorrow
The Girls Academy is an initiative of
Role Models & Leaders
Australia (RMLA)
& leaders australia
developing young leaders for tomorrow
R M LA employs 40 staff, of which
80% are Indigenous Women.
These women work directly with the
girls to provide Mum &
Big Sister
style mentoring
& leadership
We are steered by locally based
Advisory Committees comprising
members from Community,
Schools, Sponsors and R M LA
Club Rooms in each school provide
sanctuary for the girls to connect with each
other, to learn and prosper in a safe and
nurturing environment
O ur programs inspire & build resilience,
confidence & life skills; health,nutrition,
money management, post- school transition
planning, mentoring, family planning, Culture,
art, leadership, public speaking, sports & more
Outcomes
Increased
• School attendance
• Literacy and numeracy
• Academic achievement
• Year 10, 11 & 12 graduation
Reduced
• Teen pregnancy
• Self- harm
• J uvenile crime and detention
• E arly school drop- out
16High School-based Academy
branches operating in WA, NT and
NSW, currently hosting more than
1000 Indigenous Girls
Program Snapshot: The Girls Academy
Strong stewardship, governance,
monitoring, evaluation and reporting sets
us apart from many other programs.
We achieve Real Measurable Results
and we report these
to our stakeholders
nurturing environment
Support for the BIG 4
1. School Attendance
2. Achievement
3. Year 12 Graduation
4. Post School Transition
girls to provide
The program has been running
continuously for
10 years
and is funded by a mix of
government, school and corporate
sector donations
and we report these
to our stakeholders

5. Program Objectives - ‘The Big 4’
RMLA Academy Girls have the potential to be powerful catalysts for change in their
communities. The Girls Academy equips them with the tools required to achieve their
goals and become aware of their full potential.
Program activities are designed with emphasis on the ‘Big 4’ objectives to advance:
1. School attendance
2. Academic and personal achievement
3. Year 12 graduation rates, and
4. Post-school transition planning
The likelihood of engaging in health
risk behaviours decreases with higher
levels of schooling.
(Australian Human Rights Commission)
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Every year of secondary school education is correlated
with an 18% increase in a girl’s future earning power.
(World Bank Study)
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6. Tools
RMLA use a range of tools to achieve Academy objectives.
These include:
• Indigenous women as role models and mentors our team
of Program Managers (82% of which are Indigenous women)
inspire & encourage students through mentoring and guidance.
• Extracurricular activities including for example:
- Sacred Body Workshop (Teen pregnancies and safe sex)
- Stronger Sister Workshop (Resilience and depression)
- Cashed Up Workshop (Financial literacy)
- Cultural Connection Workshop (Traditional basket- weaving)
- My Way, My Life Workshop (Time management/ Planning ahead/ Leadership)
- Respectful Relationships Workshop (Discusses healthy relationships)
- Deadly Feed Workshop (Nutrition)
- No Shame Workshop (Being comfortable and confident in your own skin)
- Looking fresh Workshop (Personal care, Hair and Beauty)
- Inter-academy sporting carnivals.
• Post-school transition planning to support students to develop career, education, training
and employment pathways.
• Leadership, Teamwork & Vision activities designed to support the development of student’s
confidence, attitude, leadership and teamwork skills.
• Academy Club Rooms at each school provide a sanctuary for the girls to connect with each
other, to learn and prosper in a safe and nurturing environment.
• Community Advisory Panels have been established in 20 communities. These Panels
provide local, grass-roots advice and help steer the activities of RMLA.

7. Benefits
Benefits from the Girls Academy program flow to:
• Approximately 1000 Australian Indigenous girls living in metro, rural and remote areas of
Australia that are currently enrolled in the program
And, as a result of the multiplier effect;
• Their families
• Their communities
• Future generations of Australians, both Indigenous
AND non-Indigenous
By improving educational outcomes, our girls have more
and better employment opportunities, which in turn
supports strong, healthy communities that grow strong
healthy and happy families. This ultimately results in inter-generational change and a closing
of the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal measures of well-being.
Conversely, poor school attendance results in disruption to education which often leads to
failure to achieve core skills such as literacy and numeracy. There is a strong correlation between
this and truancy, crime and risky behaviour leading to persistent Indigenous disadvantage, a
welfare existence and widening of the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal measures
of well-being.
The linkage between The Girls Academy program, improved educational outcomes and a
better quality of life is very strong.
Supporter Benefits
Supporting the Girls Academy can deliver a
range of benefits to your organisation, including:
• Recognition as a Girls Academy partner
• Tax effective giving: Deductable Gift Recipent
(DGR) status
• Partner with a domestic charity that aligns
with your organisation’s values and business
objectives
• Engage with community via Girls Academy Community Advisory Committees
• Receive comprehensive reporting of the tangible positive changes that your support has
helped to achieve
• Deliver on your Corporate Social Responsibility objectives
• Enhanced exposure of your brand and values
• Opportunities for media exposure and community recognition
• Increased staff motivation, satisfaction and retention through partnership activities that
engage and inspire
• Help to meet your work force diversity and inclusivity goals.
People that complete Year 12 are
less likely to smoke, use alcohol &
drugs excessively, have sedentary
lifestyles, eat poor diets, or suffer
obesity.
(Australian Indigenous Health Network)
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8. Case Studies
In 2014, Melissa was best described as incredibly unpredictable exhibiting erratic behaviour and some
violent/threatening outbursts. She lives in an incredibly overcrowded home, her house is known as “the party
house” which is also quite far from school. Each morning she must ensure she is up on time to catch the bus,
however, after a very noisy night that often continues into the morning, this isn’t always possible. Noticing a
lot of sleep deprivation with Melissa lead me to understand her personal challenges and her difficult living
environment. I soon realised Melissa receives no punishment for poor behaviour but also, doesn’t receive any
praise for good behaviour and achievement. I started to provide her with a very one on one approach talking
to her about her challenges. I noticed she had always been pigeon holed as “the naughty one” so set about
giving her more responsibility and acknowledging even the smallest of wins. Progressively, Melissa would
openly communicate more and more, her conduct in class was far more respectful and she felt valued for the
good work she was doing. One behavioural issue presented itself to which she communicated the fact that her
family had taken all of the money she had for her Academy Showcase Trip, this made her angry she responded
in an upset manner. With her great new found communication skills, we could put the flames out immediately,
provide her spending money that she had earned and restore the value she had in herself. Melissa is now very
predictable, trustworthy and hard working. Her reliability and work ethic show such character and amazing
promise. Learning to achieve for herself has been a challenge but also a very great story to watch.
I believe providing Melissa with the one on one mentoring was key to her success. Attending the showcase
made rewards and positive outcomes real and attainable; the fun and support while she was there showed her,
it was well worth it. I cannot emphasise enough, this young woman is on the right track.
Jayde is an Indigenous Year 12 student who has been involved in the Academy since 2011. She is now
a VET student and is completing a school based traineeship with Population Health (WA Country Health
Service). Jayde has high attendance, shows excellent behaviour and is committed to achieving her WACE
graduation certificate and her Traineeship qualifications.
She is a positive Role Model to her peers and younger students within the Girls academy. Academy staff find
it a pleasure to work with her as she is a positive reminder of the value and success of all the hard work that
goes into supporting students enrolled within the Academy.
Taylajoined the Girls Academy in 2014, and was initially very quiet and reserved. It took her months to open up
and feel comfortable talking to the girls and staff in the Academy. At this time, Tayla was also a metro student, but
her attendance was inconsistent, as she often didn’t come to school due to lack of money for the bus or lunch.
Tayla moved into the boarding house at the College in late 2014, and her attendance improved to
over 95%. She also seemed to grow in her confidence and became much more social with the
girls. In 2015, we introduced the “Girls Academy Leadership Committee,” which consists of
12 girls and our two academy staff members. The Leadership Committee does everything
from fundraise, to speak at assemblies, to assist with the running of Academy events.
We encouraged Tayla to join our Leadership Committee, as we hoped this would
even further help her come out of her shell. Tayla was happy to join our Leadership
Committee, and since then, we have seen an even bigger growth in her confidence.
She is only a Year 9 student, and she volunteered to speak at a public Luncheon
held at the Academy. She has spoken at several assemblies, and has recented
been acknoweldged for her art and design skills, even having the opportunity to
present a piece to a prominent member of parliament. In just over one year, Tayla
has gone from being a quiet, shy, and inconsistent attender of school, to having
nearly a 90% attendance rate, and being a leader in our Girls Academy.
Sophie only started high school at the beginning of this year. She had a good attendance rate at Primary
school, however she has low literacy and numeracy levels and experiences difficulty interacting with her
peers and some staff. She recently lost her elder brother to suicide and has been removed from the care of
her parents by Family Services. She was selected by Academy staff to attend the Showcase in Perth as a
means and incentive to keep her occupied, engaged and attending school while going through this difficult
period of her life.
She increased her attendance to 100% and attended all trainings and meetings in the lead up to the
Showcase. Since the Showcase event, she has continued her high attendance rates and has been rewarded
for her positive attitude and commitment to the school and Academy by being nominated to sing at our
NAIDOC ceremony. She also was nominated as the lead dancer in our Girls Academy Dance piece for
NAIDOC. Sophie is continuing to show great improvements.
* N ames hav e b een chan g ed t o p ro t ect st u den t s’ iden t it y
Case Studies
her attendance was inconsistent, as she often didn’t come to school due to lack of money for the bus or lunch.
Tayla moved into the boarding house at the College in late 2014, and her attendance improved to
over 95%. She also seemed to grow in her confidence and became much more social with the
girls. In 2015, we introduced the “Girls Academy Leadership Committee,” which consists of
12 girls and our two academy staff members. The Leadership Committee does everything
from fundraise, to speak at assemblies, to assist with the running of Academy events.
We encouraged Tayla to join our Leadership Committee, as we hoped this would
even further help her come out of her shell. Tayla was happy to join our Leadership
Committee, and since then, we have seen an even bigger growth in her confidence.
She is only a Year 9 student, and she volunteered to speak at a public Luncheon

9. Governance & Compliance
RMLA is registered with the regulatory body, the Australian Charities and Not for Profit
Commission (ACNC) and has Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
RMLA audited financials are available for viewing via the website acnc.gov.au.
90% of funding is utilised directly in delivering the programs to the girls ‘in the field’. Overhead is
kept very low by using part-time staff, volunteers, virtual offices, and gifts of support services.
Legal name of organisation: Australian Association For The Development of Role Models
and Leaders Inc. Charity ABN 41236400793.

10. Endorsements
Senator Michaelia Cash, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister
for Women
25 June, 2014: Address to Federal Parliament, Parliament House
Canberra (Extract)
“Tonight I rise to commend the work being done by Role Models and Leaders
Australia through their educational programs in Australia, and also to inform the
chamber of my recent visits to their sites. There were programs available for Aboriginal boys,
yet the girls’ needs were being overlooked.
That is where Ricky Grace, a former basketball player, and his Role Models and Leaders
Australia have created such a wonderful program, because they have created an environment
within schools where the girls receive the support and programs needed to help them realise
their full potential. I would like to thank all the program managers and development officers
who have built strong and nurturing relationships with the girls. They are the other mums and
big sisters who provide day-to-day support and mentoring. I would also like to congratulate
each and every young woman enrolled at the academies and to tell them that they truly do
have the world at their feet and their schooling career is only the beginning of inspiring futures
for them all. I look forward to visiting more of the Role Models and Leaders Australia’s girls’
academies and meeting with these inspirational young leaders over the coming months.”
Lindsay Hale, A/Deputy Director General,
Schools Department of Education, WA
10 June 2014: (Extract from letter)
“The Department values the success of the
(RMLA) academies in keeping girls engaged
in their schooling.
Principals and teachers regularly provide
feedback on the success of the Girls
Academies in bringing about significant
change for at risk Aboriginal girls enrolled
at their school.
They value the contribution the initiative is
making in assisting Aboriginal girls.
The Department welcomes and supports
the program and we look forward to a
continued partnership.”
Margaret Mulcahy, Principal, Connected Communities Coonamble High School, NSW
January 2014 (Extract from letter)
“Thank you does not seem enough for the absolutely fantastic week you spent in our school.
To see the passion you all had for the event, the planning, the enthusiasm was just wonderful
and to them see it in action with students so keen and engaged was beyond our expectations.
The impact on our community will be enormous and students and staff are still buzzing about
the week. We are extremely grateful and feel very privileged to have been part of this.”

11. How to Support RMLA Girls Academies
Give Tax deductible one off financial
donations or regular giving programs.
Call us, visit www.rmla.com.au or find us
at givenow.com.au
Sponsor Talk to us about the many options to sponsor the Academy through
supporting events, equipment purchase, training and development, travel and so on. We can
tailor a Sponsorship program just for you.
Partner We foster collaborative and strategic partnerships that create lasting change,
which benefits all stakeholders. Contact us to discuss.
Champion You can become a strong campaigner and advocate for the girls by
telling others about us. Join and share our mailing list, Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn
accounts and become part of the conversation.
VolunteerTalk to us about volunteering opportunities.

12. Role Models and Leaders Australia | Level 1, 412-414 Newcastle St, West Perth WA 6005
p: 1300 833 904 | e: info@rolemodelsaustralia.com | w: www.rolemodelsaustralia.com
ABN: 41 236 400 793