Matt Hewson
Participating schools from the Be Bold Be Heard initiative attended a forum at GMHBA Stadium this week to hear from guest speakers and share students’ actions and achievements throughout this year’s program.
From its humble beginnings of a handful of schools in 2018 to 15 schools and more than 120 participants in 2024, Be Bold Be Heard has gone from strength to strength.
Through the program, teenage girls are invited to find their voice and imagine and enact change in their own class, college and community with the support of school staff.
In 2018, North Geelong Secondary College assistant principal Brad Headlam was one of three local principals involved in conceiving and setting up the program in Geelong.
Now the driving force behind the program, Mr Headlam said he was very proud of what it had become and excited to see it grow further.
“To see 15 schools turning up to celebrate (the program) with other schools, it’s overwhelming; knowing that growth and that change is happening in all 15 schools is a big thrill,” he said.
Mr Headlam, who received the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals award this year for his work on the program, said small changes enacted by program participants had brought big results at North Geelong.
“(Two years ago) the students changed the sport uniform to make it more appealing for girls to participate… and introduced volleyball programs, which is more inclusive for them,” he said.
“As a result, (girls’) participation in physical education has skyrocketed, they’re more engaged with their peers, they’re included in the sports fraternity. These are wonderful things to be talking about, given that I’m also a PE teacher.”
