MEET THE TEAM
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Steph Isbester
PROJECT OFFICER
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.
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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
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).