Final Emerging Community Leaders Graduation
In March, the 2024 Emerging Community Leaders participants gathered to meet as a group for a final time.
It was a day of mixed emotions, with a celebration of the amazing leadership journey participants had taken, and some sadness with this being the final cohort of the program.
The much anticipated final project presentations by graduates were a highlight of the day, with four projects undertaken by the group.
- ‘Move Forward’ seeks to develop a feasible and sustainable strategy to provide free moving services to Tasmanians experiencing homelessness and family violence and establish partnerships with businesses and community organisations to deliver it.
- ‘Youth Create’ enables youth to share their lived experience through Know and Tell, which aims to develop screen content to empower youth in need to connect to services available.
- ‘Tomorrows Powerhouse’ creates care packages for dogs belonging to vulnerable individuals and families, ensuring they receive essential supplies and support to stay healthy and connected with their owners during challenging times.
- ‘Youth Expo’ supports young people to forge links within their ‘village’ by creating pathways for enrichment and engagement in community groups and activities for young people aged 12-17 years old in the Bridgewater and Gagebrook communities.
The program came from the TCF recognising the value of developing leadership skills across the community, the need to empower and enable them to help their community prosper.
A total of 125 people graduated from the program in the first seven years across six cohorts and 21 graduated from the 2024 program, taking the total number of graduates to 146.
Later that day, the graduates, facilitators, TCF staff, Board, colleagues, friends and family visited Government House and share the success of the program with Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, a fitting way to finish.
It was wonderful to bring many past graduates and friends of the program together to celebrate its legacy.
The TCF will continue to develop the leaders in the community sector through new programs in the future.