MEET THE TEAM

  • Hayley McQuire

    CO—FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

    Darumbal and South Sea Islander

    Hayley McQuire is a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman born and raised in Rockhampton, Central Queensland. Her work is centered on community, relationality and convening new collectives to rethink education. She is the co-founder and CEO of The National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, Co-Chair of Learning Creates Australia and board director for a number of non-profit organisations. She brings over 10 years of experience working across Indigenous policy and training, and has worked on advocacy campaigns and capacity building initiatives with education coalitions and young people around the world.

  • Samara Hand

    CO-FOUNDER & RESEARCH AND IMPACT DIRECTOR

    Awabakal, Worimi and Birripi

    Samara leads NIYEC’s monitoring evaluation, research and program work. She is also currently completing her PhD at UNSW. She previously led the curriculum development for the Aurora High School program has worked at the NSW Department of Education developing and managing programs to enhance early childhood education outcomes for Aboriginal children and families. Samara holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from UNSW and a Masters in Understanding and Secuaring Human Rights from the University of London.

  • Renee Phillips

    CO-FOUNDER & PROGRAM AND LEARNING DIRECTOR

    Saibai, Zenadth Kes

    Renee Phillips is a Saibai, Kerema and Daru woman from Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) and Papua New Guinea. She is a trained Science and Maths high school teacher and a co-founding member of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC). Renee's teaching experience has been at an independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school in Gimuy - Yidinji (Cairns), as well as at a state high school on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country. She has also worked as a Primary Educator and Community Development Officer at Children's Ground on Arrernte country. She now works as the Program and Learning Director at NIYEC.

  • Lay Maloney

    PROJECT OFFICER - CAMPAIGNS AND PROGRAMS

    Gumbaynggirr, Gunggandji and South Sea Islander

    Lay Maloney belongs to the Gumbaynggirr and Gunggandji Nations and is of South Sea Islander Heritage. They work as the Project Officer at NIYEC with a major focus leading the Learn Our Truth campaign. Lay studied a Bachelor of Arts (Extended) at the University of Melbourne. They are a freelance writer and recipient of the 2022 State Library of Queensland's black&write! Fellowship

  • Steph Isbester

    EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT

    Wiradjuri

    Steph Isbester is a Wiradjuri woman and educator on Wurundjeri Country. She studied a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood and Primary at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She works as the Educational Consultant at NIYEC.

  • Layla Phillips

    OPERATIONS MANAGER

    Saibai, Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) with ancestral connections to Kairuku-Hiri district in Papua New Guinea.

    Layla’s professional path has been shaped by a commitment to amplifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples voices. In her current role as the Operations Manager at NIYEC, Layla is fueled by a passion for Indigenous self-determination, student agency, and a commitment to a strength-based approach to systems change. She believes in the transformative power of highlighting strengths and assets to drive positive change within the broader education system

  • Winyinnar Mendez

    PROJECT ASSISTANT

    Wiradjuri & Yorta Yorta

    Winyinnar Mendez Williams is a proud Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta and Uruguayan woman. At NIYEC, she works part time as the Project Assistant, assisting in project development and implementation. She is also currently in her final year of her Bachelors Degree in Environment and Society at RMIT University. Winyinnar is passionate about land rights, the power in education, racial equity and inclusion. In her work at NIYEC, she strives towards achieving safe, supportive spaces for young Mob to thrive, especially in education through systemic change.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Nicola Barker

    BOARD DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

    Murawarii, Wangkumara, Ngiyampaa

    Nicola Barker is a Murawarii woman from Brewarrina and Bourke far west NSW with bloodlines connected to Wangkumara and Ngiyampaa. Nic completed a Bachelor of Social Work and a graduate diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion and is studying a Masters of Counselling. She is a co-founding member of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC). Nic has a special interest in health and wellbeing and how this impacts on educational participation with young people. In many of her roles Nic has seen the correlation of how the influence of Indigenous knowledges are promoted and embedded in spaces where children participate impacts of childhood wellbeing.

  • Rona Glynn-McDonald

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    Kaytetye

    Rona is a proud Kaytetye woman who grew up in Mparntwe on Arrernte Country. With ties to storytelling, economics and narrative change, Rona works with First Nations organisations to shape future systems that centre First Nations people, knowledge and solutions. Rona is the founding CEO of Common Ground and co-founder of First Nations Futures. Rona was previously the Director of First Nations at YLab, a social enterprise that puts young people with diverse lived experiences at the centre of designing and developing innovative and impactful solutions to complex social issues.

  • Dr. Jared M Field (Spearim)

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    Gamilaraay

    Dr Jared M. Field (Spearim) is a Gamilaraay mari from Moree way, but grew up on Darug land in a small town along the Great Dividing Range. He studied maths and French literature at the University of Sydney, before completing a doctorate at Balliol College, Oxford. He is currently a McKenzie Fellow in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Melbourne.

  • Anton Schirripa

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    Ngarabal

    Anton is a Ngarabal man, who grew up on Wadjuk Country in Boorloo. Anton has an extensive background in Aboriginal Education, including the development of culturally responsive teaching practices and pedagogy, and supporting teachers to practically prioritise Aboriginal knowledges and voices in their curriculum. Anton is currently the Program Coordinator for Complex Student Support, utilising his knowledge and skills of trauma informed approaches to education to lead a team supporting young people and their families presenting with complex needs in Western Australia.

  • Kaytlin Kelly

    BOARD DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

    Tjuparn, Ballardong Noongar, Willman and Minang

    Kaytlin Kelly is a Tjuparn woman from Tjwarl country as well as a Ballardong Nyoongar woman on her mother’s side. She is also a Willman and Minang from the south west Region of Western Australia on her fathers side. She is studying a Bachelor of Education (Primary) and is a co-founding member of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC).