2019 Student Speaker Series - Students Taking Action: Inspiring Students to be Changemakers through CAS

Tour Dates:

25 March - 5 April 2019

29 April - 10 May 2019*

*Sessions are available at other dates on request

Cost:

$300 per event

plus a share of flights, accommodation, transfers and meals as required for schools located outside of Brisbane.

Time required:

1.5 hours

Maximum number of Students per event:

Sessions can be designed to suit both small and large groups

Download the Student Speaker Series Flyer

Program details:

In this session, students will be encouraged to think outside the box in order to get the most out of their CAS Project.  This interactive workshop will empower students to take on the world around them and act on the problems they see despite their young age.  Through real-life examples of student activism and service, students (and teachers) will be able to see just how possible it is to make change both locally and globally.

The start of the workshop will introduce participants to Asha's own journey starting as a 13-year old changemaker and explore her project work in Borneo and experiences with the Jane Goodall Institute.

Following on from this, the workshop will lead participants through a practical activity to audit and assess local opportunities for student led projects.  This activity highlights how possible it is to make changes on a local level, while encouraging students to build their skills to enable them to take action on a global scale.

The final message of the workshop will be to highlight real-life examples of other student influencers and their local and global projects to inspire the audience to use the support and resources of the IB community to make meaningful change.

About the Presenter:

Asha Mortel attended Cleveland District State High School from Year 8 in 2012, graduating Year 12 in 2016.  During this time she was inspiring by key teachers and staff to become involved in a wide variety of local and global projects, which led to her involvement in environmental projects in Indonesian Borneo and the Jane Goodall Institute Australia.

As a member of DeforestAction she has helped to raise awareness about environmental issues facing the Dayak community of Borneo. She has advocated for the mandatory labelling of palm oil in Australia and New Zealand and worked to raise awareness about the detrimental impacts conflict palm oil production has on the environment, animals and people of Borneo.

She has helped raise funds that support the building of an Orang-utan rescue and rehabilitation centre.  As a member of two school trips to Borneo she was able to work hands on in the village of Tembak and deliver in person the resources to support students and teachers in delivering textbooks, stationary and teaching resources.

Asha's work as a young changemaker has led to her being awarded several prestigious awards including the Order of Australia's Secondary School's Citizenship Award and the Zonta Women's International Young Women in Public Affairs Award as well as the Council of International Schools student award in 2016.

Asha has been a member of the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots National Youth Leadership Council for the past four years.  In this time she has helped to organise events and attended and represented Roots & Shoots at state, national and internatonal events.  In 2016, she represented Australia at the Global Roots & Shoots Gathering at Windsor Castle in the UK, spending the week with Dr Jane Goodall and other young participants from all over the world.

She has been featured in various magazines, giving her the opportunity to spread her message and inspire others. 

At the age of 17, Asha spoke at the Global Issues Network Conference in Indonesia and facilitated the workshop How Kids Can alongside Melati Wijsen founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags and graduate of Green School Bali.

In 2018 Asha was the Youth Member for Oodgeroo in the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament and presented at the Council of International Schools Conference on Students Taking Action.

In 2019, Asha will embark upon her Bachelor of Secondary Education at Queensland University of Technology. She hopes to pursue a career in secondary teaching and inspire a new generation of young activists to make the world a better place.

You can connect with Asha on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/asha-mortel-784ba3175

Download the Student Speaker Series Flyer