Richmond’s Korin Gamadji Institute (KGI) successfully held its annual REAL program on April 13-16, a four-day leadership intensive for year 11 and 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across Victoria. 

The program includes sessions on career pathways and brings students together for an experience, focusing on culture, leadership and wellbeing. 

Throughout the program, participants had the opportunity to meet and hear from Richmond AFL and AFLW players Maurice Rioli, Rhyan Mansell, Libby Graham and Bec Miller, who shared experiences from their own leadership journeys. 

Richmond’s Indigenous Cultural Capability Manager, Luke Murray, detailed how important the program is for young people in building their confidence. 

“The program is really important for our young ones,” Murray said. 

“It provides an opportunity for them to connect with their culture, build confidence in their ability to lead, and understand the importance of looking after themselves.

“We’ve had 1000’s of participants come through this program since 2011, and this year it’s exciting to see our alumni return as staff and mentors on the program.”

The purpose of this program was to help students understand some of the options they have post school by increasing their awareness of future career pathways and developing their communication skills. 

Participants left the program feeling confident to step out of their comfort zone, learning that setbacks are stepping stones for the future, and ready to make a lasting impact in their communities.

Data measured during and after the program showcased growth in three key areas – confidence to lead, future pathway clarity, and resilience. 

Resilience showed the strongest result, a 72 per cent increase, representing the biggest measurable shift.

Reflecting on the program, a female year 12 participant said she learnt “I am observant, and deep down I’m a strong and confident person”, while her ‘why’ is “to work in community and be someone they trust and look up to”.

A male year 12 participant added one of his biggest takeaways was “it’s okay to fail and be set back”, with his ‘why’ being “to support young people accessing sport and remove financial barriers for low-income families”.

Overall, the data shows the program is highly effective at building confident, self-assured young leaders with a stronger sense of voice and agency.

Richmond’s KGI Programs Manager, Zac Prior, was impressed with the participants' ability to find their voice and back themselves with confidence over the course of the program. 

“This program is about giving young mob the confidence, cultural grounding and practical tools to step into adulthood on their own terms,” Prior said. 

“What we saw across the week was young people finding their voice, backing themselves and stepping into leadership in a real way. That’s what KGI is all about.”

The REAL program also featured presentations from the Club’s partners, including Hostplus, nib, A.G. Coombs and Swinburne, who shared valuable insights into potential career pathways for the participating students.

Students completed the program with a presentation in front of their families and Richmond staff, detailing their experiences and how they are going to better themselves and their communities.