Stars Foundation welcome new Aunty program teaching First Aid to First Nations young women

• Almost 50  First Nations young women attending Karratha and Geraldton Senior High Schools and have learned St John WA (SJWA) first aid thanks to its new Aunty program.
• The Aunty guides workshops and coursework which engages First Nations young people outside of a one-size-fits-all approach.
• The program began in September last year, with the latest session being at Geraldton Senior High School on May 23.

Almost 50 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from rural and remote communities, who would otherwise have been disadvantaged by distance, have learned first aid in a meaningful and engaging way thanks to St John WA’s new Aunty program.

SJWA charitably funded first aid training sessions in Karratha and Geraldton with Stars Foundation, which provides intensive educational support to First Nations girls and young women.

“Our intention is to work with reputable and established First Nations organisations like Stars Foundation to teach first aid to Indigenous young people in rural and remote communities while utilising the knowledge and skills of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Paramedic and First Nations Relations Specialist Jeremy Maitland-Smith said.

“This approach helps guide workshops and coursework to engage young people outside of a one-size-fits-all approach.

“The Aunty program enables us to provide crucial cultural safety to our participants and aids us in making our content more appropriate.”

Established in 2015, Stars Foundation empowers and mentors more than 3400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women in upwards of 62 primary and secondary schools across six states and territories in Australia.

Stars Foundation provides a holistic mentoring program that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women to identify their goals and reach their full potential in all aspects of their development and wellbeing.

Stars Mentor at Geraldton High School, Luana McGregor said the experience was very positive for all involved.

“The training session was conducted in a culturally safe environment for the girls and Aunty Dellys’ presence made a huge difference to the young girls and helped them feel more comfortable to participate in the practical side of the course,” Ms McGregor said.

Social Sustainability Manager, Angel Robins, said St John WA initiated a pilot Aunty program thanks to the generosity of community donations.

“This pioneering initiative merges our First Aid Focus course for school-aged children with the integration of respected Aunties or Elders from local First Nations communities to provide essential cultural context and safety during the training sessions, in line with our commitment to reconciliation and cultural safety,” Ms Robins said.

“Our hope is to scale this program throughout WA’s remote and regional communities to contribute to the broader goals of reconciliation and community health equity.

“Working with Elders also allow us to take a very local and community led approach to our First Aid Focus courses.

“By combining the expertise of St John, Stars Foundation, and the invaluable contributions of Aboriginal ‘Aunties’, we aim to contribute to a lasting positive impact on the health and safety of First Nations communities across Western Australia.”

To find out more on how to support the Aunty program through charitable partnerships, email Angelina.Robins@stjohnwa.com.au