Grant to help Geelong girls lead change in schools

A Geelong program empowering teenage girls to speak up and lead change has received a $20,000 boost from a newly established statewide foundation.

The Be Bold Be Heard initiative is among the inaugural community grant recipients of the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation, created last year following the sale of the organisation’s South Yarra headquarters.

Proceeds from the sale have been redirected into a $5 million fund aimed at advancing the rights of women and girls across Victoria.

Established in 2018 by three secondary schools, the Be Bold Be Heard initiative was developed in response to consistent data showing the need to better support girls’ confidence, leadership and ability to address gender inequalities within their school community.

The program now reaches close to 20 schools and is structured around a series of forums that combine project planning, student-led activities and guest speakers, with participants taking increasing ownership of the program throughout the year.

Committee chair Brad Headlam said the funding would help expand the program’s reach.

“The grant funds will see us in a position to establish and refine resources and enable connections to encourage the uptake of this program across the state,” he said.