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Goodstart’s commitment to fostering growth and creating pathways for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals was recognised at the annual awards gala last month, with members of Goodstart’s Child and Family Practitioner Team, Hannah Cooper and Donna Matthews taking home the prestigious award.
The Project Excellence Award recognises a project that delivers real impact for the business, celebrating a manager who creates meaningful opportunities and an intern who rises to the challenge, bringing fresh thinking, dedication and lasting value to their team.
Hannah, a proud Anaiwan woman, has interned with Goodstart in the Child and Family Practitioner Team during the university summer breaks for three years, while completing her Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at the University of Newcastle.
Reflecting on the award, Hannah said she felt proud of what she had achieved.
“Goodstart is such a supportive environment for students. I felt welcome from the minute I stepped through the doors and throughout my entire experience,” Hannah said.
“Every Goodstarter I worked with had valuable experience or advice they were willing to share which made my learning experience even more impactful.”
Joint winner and Child and Family Practitioner Donna Mathews said that winning the award alongside Hannah was one of the most rewarding and proud moments of her career and being able to support and witness Hannah’s journey was a truly meaningful experience.
“Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of witnessing Hannah’s growth and development. Watching her confidence, skills and professional identity evolve has been incredibly fulfilling.” Donna said.
“Supporting a young Indigenous woman to reach this milestone made the moment even more significant - it felt like one of those rare moments in time where you pause and reflect on the journey, the hard work and the impact of investing in others.
“Sharing that experience with Hannah is something I will always remember with great pride.”
The project delivering real impact for Goodstart was the development of a professional learning program. It was designed to support educators to strengthen their wellbeing, reconnect with the meaning and value of their work, and build stronger relationships with both colleagues and the children they support.
Hannah contributed to developing this tailored wellbeing course for Goodstart educators based on the PERMAH framework, focusing on Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health. After completing the PERMAH training, the team designed presentations and practical resource folders to ensure the content was both meaningful and accessible for ongoing educator wellbeing. By promoting positive emotions, engagement, and healthy work practices, the program seeks to foster a more supportive and sustainable environment within early childhood settings.
Goodstart has been a proud partner of CareerTrackers since 2016 - supporting more than 30 First Nations interns to gain paid, practical, real-world experience correlated to their university studies.
Hannah’s contribution has strengthened the Family and Child Family Practitioner team's cultural understanding and left a lasting impact on how they think about respect, culture, and connection in their work.
“My internships through CareerTrackers have set me up for success - to be supported to continue studying while being given incredible opportunities such as interning at Goodstart is really priceless.” Hannah said.
For more information on the CareerTrackers Program please click here and to learn more about Goodstart’s reconciliation impact and progress over the past year, click here.