CEO Message: Events to inspire action for change

Happy Spring to everyone. The colourful blossoms in the air signal the changing of the seasons, warmer weather and greater opportunities for gatherings and events. Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of holding our first two in-person events in 2022.

The eighth annual MY Education Awards was celebrated at Federation Square and streamed online, with the theme of ‘Learning and Thriving Together’ to highlight the contributions of Out-of-School-Hours Learning Support Programs in helping Victoria’s multicultural primary and secondary students through the challenges of the last 18 months. We are thankful to Mr Tim Richardson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Schools, Mental Health and Social Inclusion, for joining us once again for this special occasion, and acknowledge the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training for their ongoing commitment to funding the Learning Beyond the Bell program. We also take the opportunity to thank the philanthropic partners that support the Homework Club Partnership Fund: Australian Communities Foundation, Stan Willis Trust, and Reid Malley Foundation.

Women and multicultural young women in particular are underrepresented in leadership positions on Boards and committees. CMY’s Seat at the Table program supports multicultural young women under 30 in formal leadership roles, through training and Observership placements. Networking plays such a large role in pathways to leadership, which is why we organised an evening of storytelling and networking for the program participants to meet with a range inspiring business and community leaders. Among these were Samantha Ratnam, Leader of the Victorian Greens, and Viv Nguyen AM, Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, who shared personal and professional insights from their own leadership journeys.

Looking forward, next week CMSport (our new Sports business unit) will host its first in-person forum, with an exciting line-up of speakers and special guest the Hon. Ros Spence MP Minister for Community Sport. We look forward to gathering the sector and sparking important discussions on improving access and belonging for multicultural Victorians through sport and active recreation. Click here for more information.

If there is one thing these many events has reminded me this month, it is the verve and determination that young people have to reach their full potential. Much has been done in Victoria, yet there is still much work to be done to ensure they can access all the opportunities Victoria has to offer, and to create new and different opportunities. With the Victorian State Election approaching, we will soon be sharing CMY’s election platform, which will highlight policy areas for improvement so that multicultural young people and their families can strengthen their sense of belonging and proudly contribute to Victoria’s multicultural community.

– Carmel Guerra OAM, CMY CEO