Makers Empire is delighted to announce that the Naturally Brave Project by Makers Empire, Bushfire Kids Connect, and Growing With Gratitude has won the South Australian Resilient Australia Awards in the Mental Health and Wellbeing category.
Now, Naturally Brave is a finalist for the 2024 National Resilient Australia Awards. Winners will be announced on 20th November 2024 at the National Awards Ceremony in Canberra.
Mandi Dimitriadis, Director of Learning at Makers Empire, said, “The Naturally Brave project is close to my heart having grown up in regional South Australia where natural disasters, particularly bushfires, are a part of life. It has been such a rewarding experience to be able to partner with Bushfire Kids Connect and Growing with Gratitude to reach so many primary school students. I love seeing these young people being empowered to make a difference in their communities and having their voices and ideas genuinely listened to.”
Ash Manuel, Founder of Growing with Gratitude, said, “we are extremely proud that the Naturally Brave Project by Growing With Gratitude, Bushfire Kids Connect Ltd and Makers Empire has won the State (South Australia) Resilient Australia award in the Mental Health and Wellbeing category. A huge thank you to South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) and Government House South Australia for hosting the awards.”
Naturally Brave is a pioneering and engaging STEM program designed to promote awareness of natural disasters and encourage resilience and empathy in students. The aims of Naturally Brave are to:
The project started with a pilot of 10 schools in SA’s Riverland and has now expanded across South Australia, into NSW and Queensland thanks to the Australian Government National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Disaster Ready Funding (DRF) 2023/2024. We hope to expand the project to all states and territories in Australia.
Makers Empire is running Naturally Brave in three Australian states in 2025 thanks to the Australian Government National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Disaster Ready Funding (DRF) 2023/2024. Schools selected for these programs are awarded a package valued at $8,500 including professional development for teachers, Makers Empire’s STEM tools and resources and a student showcase event.
Primary schools in the Port Macquarie, Griffith and Leeton regions of NSW are invited to submit an expression of interest. This program will be delivered to 20 schools in Port Macquarie, Griffith and Leeton, NSW, in terms 3-4, 2025. Expressions of interest close November 25th, 2024. Learn more.
Primary schools in the Townsville and Cairns regions of Queensland are invited to submit an expression of interest. This program will be delivered to 40 schools in Townsville and Cairns, in terms 3-4, 2025. Expressions of interest close December 2nd, 2024. Learn more.
Primary schools in the Eyre Peninsula and Adelaide regions of South Australia are invited to submit an expression of interest. This program will be delivered to 20 schools in the Eyre Peninsula region and Adelaide, SA, in terms 3-4, 2025. Early bird expressions of interest close November 25th, 2024.
Copyright © 2025 Makers Empire
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we gather on. We acknowledge the deep feelings of attachment and relationship of the Kaurna people to country and we respect and value their past, present and ongoing connection to the land and cultural beliefs.
