Gender-based violence is a major issue in Australia specially in an age where young people’s exposure to different societal narratives and messages has increased dramatically in traditional as well as social media. Efforts to communicate positive and empowering messages must be backed with formats that engage students and address key concerns as experienced by young people themselves. TESSA Inc. gender specific respectful relationship programs (EXPECT RESPECT and MATMAN) use interactive conversations, brief concept presentations, and physical activities to engage the students and help them embody the concepts explored.
Themes in each program have been selected using a combination of research, Respectful Relationships curriculum consideration, as well as stakeholder and young people consultation. The evaluation processes aim to capture both, the objective understanding of particular themes as well as the subjective experience of the students. During the 45-minute workshop, participants will experience some of the key activities and their links to respectful relationships and gender narratives. They will also learn how this format provides agency, voice and sense of ownership to the students highlighting the importance of participatory and active respectful relationships education. As one program participant stated, “this program is not about DO THIS but more about YOU CAN DO THIS!”.

Rodrigo Castellanos

Rodrigo has over 20 years’ experience in project management, sustainability and environmental markets. In 2010 Rodrigo cofounded RAMP Carbon Pty Ltd while leading the development of a series of major environmental and social programs in Latin America and Africa.  In 2005 Rodrigo joined as Director of Research the corporate social responsibility ratings agency RepuTex in Melbourne, Australia focusing on Risk Assessment and Carbon Finance. Prior to this he worked in the Citigroup Private Bank in New York and Mexico City.  In February 2017 Rodrigo was employed as the inaugural MAT Life Skills Program Manager for TESSA Inc.

Irena Krol 

Irena is a certified shiatsu practitioner with extensive experience in teaching people about self-care and wellbeing practices. Since 2015 she has been a certified life skills instructor helping to empower young people to better manage challenges in their lives.

In 2024, she co-developed the Expect Respect program, an initiative focused on fostering respectful relationships and personal safety for young women and is currently the leading instructor of the program in Victoria.

Irena started training Aikido in 2002.  For several years she has been teaching beginners’ classes helping students to establish strong foundations in terms of body awareness and technical development.

Kami Castellanos Krol

Kami is currently pursuing a Bachelors degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU.  She has a strong passion for diplomacy, policy development, and human rights. Kami has been actively involved in initiatives that promote social justice and community empowerment.  At TESSA Inc., she co-developed the Expect Respect program, an initiative focused on fostering respectful relationships and personal safety for young women. She has also volunteered with Melel Xojobal in Mexico, supporting indigenous children through education and life skills programs.  Kami is fluent in English and Spanish and thrives in multicultural environments, enjoying engagement with diverse communities.

This presentation will share key outcomes and insights from the transformative Australia-ASEAN Youth Summits 2024, aligning with the Student Voice Conference 2025 theme of 'Connect, Share, Empower.'

The summits positively impacted participating students' understanding of regional issues, diplomatic skills, and global citizenship. We will explore how the summits addressed cultural identity, sustainability and active citizenship through simulated diplomatic activities and cross-cultural interactions.

The presentation will also highlight the project's impact on participating teachers, who gained valuable insights into youth leadership education and the sustainable development goals.

By sharing our experiences and strategies, we aim to inspire educators and advocates to create similar opportunities for student empowerment and foster stronger international ties. Join us to explore how to nurture globally minded leaders.

Emeline Gillingham

Assistant Manager, International Partnerships, Asialink Education (formerly known as Asia Education Foundation) 

Emeline is the Assistant Manager of International Partnerships at Asialink Education, bringing over a decade of experience in project management and stakeholder engagement within global education, Australia-Asia relations, and international affairs.

At Asialink Education, Emeline coordinates diverse programs for students, educators, and leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. She has successfully managed international school partnerships projects with India, China, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Papua New Guinea. Her expertise extends to leading educational study tours to Mongolia and South Korea, as well as organising immersive learning experiences in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Prior to joining Asialink Education, Emeline worked with the United Nations Association of Australia (Victorian Division), where she promoted the UN's work at the local level.

Emeline's international experience includes a six-month Chinese language learning scholarship in Chengdu, China. She is an alumna of the prestigious Asialink Leaders Program and holds a Master of International Relations with Honours from La Trobe University.

With her extensive background in cross-cultural education and international partnerships, Emeline continues to foster meaningful connections and educational opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.

How can we create more inclusive environments? 

Schools are increasingly recognising the importance of student mental health, but are current efforts enough? What role do students play in shaping school wellbeing initiatives? How can we ensure wellbeing support is accessible, non-stigmatising, and student-led? 

These sessions are designed to be participant-led, meaning the conversation will evolve based on the interests, experiences, and ideas of those in the room. Facilitators will let the discussion flow organically and only refer to the prompts if needed to spark new ideas or refocus the conversation. 

In the age of the internet and mobile phones, students have the power of attaining knowledge that fundamentally challenges the role of education systems, standardised curriculum and teachers. In my own teaching practice, within high schools, in my own tutoring model and at universities, I have persistently based my practice upon finding opportunities to hand over the learning to students, for students and with students. Within this workshop, I hope to share my practice and curriculum models that may offer counterpoints to the top-down, hierarchical structures that education systems and classrooms have historically depended upon and been shaped by. This workshop intends to be exploratory and discursive, based upon personally reflective praxis and small case studies of teaching, learning and curriculum design outside of institutional learning spaces for their potential to imagine different ways of empowering students.

My own student-led project model – combining the work of inquiry, problem-based and project-based learning into frameworks and cycles of learning that put the purpose of the learning in the hands of the students. As a high school teacher, often we are posed with critically challenging questions from students:

“Why are we learning this?”

“When am I going to ever use this information?”

“How is this relevant to my life?”

“I’m never going to need this information with where I want to be in my future.”

Through my own observations of different project-based, inquiry-based and problem-based programs, I experimented with refining and clarifying how these pedagogical approaches can be both better understood by students and their subtle differences clarified in the process. With these cycles, it offered students themselves to dictate what the purpose of their learning was – driven by their concerns or curiosities. Through these interests, students could learn critical thinking, digital and media literacy, metacognitive and communication skills that made their learning both meaningful and deeply relevant to their current and future lives (regardless of their interests or aspirations). In this workshop I hope to raise questions and offer solutions to the sticky world of untangling assessment, curriculum, knowledge, skills and student identities, motivations and aspirations.

Within these project cycles, and the potential questions they probe and power they provide students, we can consider their implications for policy and practice in ways that not only prepare students for their future, but are inherently inclusive, empowering and supportive. Arguably this workshop has the power to speak to all themes of the conference as it puts students as partners and leaders of their learning at its core.

How can we ensure student voice is inclusive of all backgrounds and experiences?

Many students experience barriers to education based on race, disability, gender, sexuality, or socio-economic background. What are the biggest equity challenges in schools today? How can schools move beyond just talking about diversity to actively ensuring inclusion? How can student voice be central to making schools more equitable?

These sessions are designed to be participant-led, meaning the conversation will evolve based on the interests, experiences, and ideas of those in the room. Facilitators will let the discussion flow organically and only refer to the prompts if needed to spark new ideas or refocus the conversation.