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Celebrating Young Innovators: The Next Gen WA Showcase Event 

The Fogarty Foundation was excited to attend the inaugural Next Gen Western Australia Awards, hosted by BOP Industries on 1 November at Bloom at Curtin University. The Awards are a dynamic new platform that celebrates the accomplishments of young talent and dedicated educators. As proud sponsors of this event, in collaboration with the Spacecubed Innovative Society Initiative (which includes funding support from Lotterywest), we are thrilled to support our innovative youth and teachers in Western Australia. 

What are the Next Gen WA Awards?

The Fogarty Foundation’s involvement in the Next Gen WA Showcase Event is a tribute to the spirit of innovation and the dedication of our state’s future leaders. It’s not merely an awards ceremony; it’s a validation of the talented youth and education driving Western Australia forward. 

At the core of the Next Gen WA Showcase Event lies a celebration of excellence. It spotlights and applauds the top three finalists in each of its six award categories, recognising their ideas, commitment and hard work. 

Award Winners 

The Next Gen WA Showcase Event featured six diverse award categories designed to acknowledge excellence across a wide range of talent and expertise. The Foundation would like to congratulate all the shortlisted applicants and this year’s winners, the latter who are: 

We are particularly thrilled that the contribution of two talented individuals from Western Australia – student Kshithij Chandrashekar and educator Michelle Fitzpatrick – achieved national recognition, as part of BOP Industries’ National Next Gen Awards, underscoring the calibre of our local talent on a broader stage. 

About the Foundation 

The Fogarty Foundation, known for our ripple-inspired logo, sponsors several initiatives like the Next Gen Western Australia Showcase Event, ensuring that, much like a ripple, change starts small and has a lasting impact outward. This event, featuring a wide range of award categories and a distinguished panel of judges, truly lived up to its promise as a source of inspiration and celebration.

To learn more about the Awards and winners – or to watch the recording of the event – please visit the Next Gen Awards website. 

Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Highlights from the InspirED 2023 event by the Fogarty Foundation

On 26 October 2023, the Fogarty Foundation’s annual InspirED event took place.  As always, it was a remarkable occasion as it provided a wonderful showcase of the achievements and potential of the University of Western Australia (UWA) Fogarty Scholars.  It featured presentations and discussions on a wide array of topics, including entrepreneurial ventures, social impact initiatives, and inspiring personal journeys.  The event also highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to nurturing young talent by empowering Scholars to reach their full potential and so make a positive impact on our society. 

A major highlight at the InspirED event was hearing the insights of the UWA Fogarty Scholars. These talented young minds seized their Scholarships as a launchpad for personal and academic growth, with the event providing a platform for them to showcase their accomplishments. From Caleb McKenna who has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia in 2024; to Nicholas Ellison and Lydia Almeida, new medical graduates who aspire to work in regional, rural and remote medicine; and Luke Osborne whose overseas internships helped him find his passion in mathematical finance and financial technology.  The talented Emily Roberts and Racheline Tantular round out our six graduates, Emily with her Master of Professional Engineering (Mech Eng) and Racheline with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Music and Asian Studies.

A compelling narrative was skillfully crafted throughout the evening by Caleb Adams, the event’s MC and Vice President of the Fogarty Scholars Association.  In his address to the audience, he urged us to reflect on the idea that each person carries their own unique story, which collectively weaves into the broader narrative of our shared history and culture. He left the audience with a thought-provoking question to ponder throughout the evening: “What kind of legacy do you aspire to leave behind?”   

Attendees were inspired by keynote speaker Kyle Hoath, who shared his journey from medicine to entrepreneurship. He began by showcasing the positive impact of his project, Oqea, in the field of mental health. Kyle stressed the importance of teamwork and having a support system. When reflecting on legacy in light of Caleb’s question, Kyle concluded that legacies take time to build, and achievements often unfold in surprising ways.

Guests were also fortunate to connect virtually with Lachie McDonald, a Scholar who is now pursuing postgraduate studies at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, as part of a special scholarship opportunity uniquely for UWA Fogarty Scholars.  Lachie shared his insightful reflections on his journey as a Fogarty Scholar, emphasising the critical importance of developing digital skills for the future and driving progress in artificial intelligence. He delved into the philosophical underpinnings of AI which served as a compelling reminder to the audience that the intelligence of digital systems is fundamentally shaped by real-world actions and decisions. Lachie’s message concluded with a resounding call to action, highlighting the urgency of our role as active participants in shaping the future. Here again we were reminded of Caleb’s question; “What kind of legacy do you aspire to leave behind?”. 

In a special moment during the event, the Jeremy Cheang Award was presented to Shantelle Jeyakumar for her exceptional achievements and her commitment to making a positive impact on her community. Shantelle won the award for her innovative project centered on an educational platform that integrates dental health, women’s health, and financial literacy. What makes this recognition even more special is that Shantelle will receive mentorship from Dr. Marcus Tan, a leading expert in the field. Shantelle’s work steps toward one legacy that she may leave behind; by leveraging emerging digital tools to create equality of information and access.  

Thank you to all who attended the InspirED 2023 event, a photo gallery of which is available here. We also encourage you to investigate Kyle’s Oqea and other Scholars’ initiatives.  

The UWA Fogarty Scholars program is one of the Foundation’s flagship programs.  This program has been instrumental in identifying, supporting, and nurturing exceptional students from various fields. With 10 selected each year and an alumni of over 120 Scholars, this group represents a diverse range of talents, ambitions, and backgrounds, and an inspiring group to follow.  To learn more about our Scholars and alumni, visit them here. 

In a momentous achievement, UWA Fogarty Scholar Caleb McKenna has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia in 2024. This Scholarship, known for its history and prestige, will see Caleb pursuing postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, joining an international community of scholars with a commitment to making a positive impact.  He will be joining four fellow UWA Fogarty Scholars to have received this prestigious scholarship.

The selection process for the Rhodes Scholarship was rigorous, with Caleb and five other exceptional candidates interviewed by the selection committee. The criteria included academic excellence, character, service commitment, leadership, and moral integrity. Caleb’s qualities and significant achievements to date made him stand out. 

The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1903 at the University of Oxford, is the world’s oldest and most renowned graduate scholarship. It has a strong tradition of supporting scholars who strive to make the world a better place. The Western Australia Rhodes Scholarship, initiated in 1904, recognises outstanding individuals annually. 

Caleb’s journey from a UWA Fogarty Scholar to a Rhodes Scholar is a testament to his unwavering dedication to education, service, and leadership. His story is an inspiration to students and scholars, motivating them to pursue their goals with determination. Caleb holds a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) and a Master of Professional Engineering and is a passionate student of engineering science. His recent work co- founding Enitiate aided him to stand out during the selection process. Enitiate aims to develop community-minded engineers by allowing them to develop professional and technical skills while working with social enterprises. 

Enitiate works with various community partners to develop a project scope focused on a technical problem the partner is facing. Enitiate’s project teams of engineering students then explore potential solutions to these technical problems and present them to their partners. 

As a Rhodes Scholar, Caleb will continue his academic endeavours to join over a hundred scholars from various backgrounds. The Scholarship fully funds postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, providing the opportunity to learn from top professors, collaborate with peers worldwide, and engage in research that contributes to society’s betterment. 

In October 2024, Caleb will commence his academic journey at Oxford, carrying with him the hopes and best wishes of his Western Australian community excited to see the positive impact he will create in the future. 

To learn more about our UWA Fogarty Scholars, including Caleb, they can be found at our online Scholar database.

THREE Western Australian teacherS RECOGNISED WITH A NATIONAL teaching excellence AWARD

There are multiple factors which make a school high performing, including the excellent teachers who continuously invest in their own progression and/or introduce worthwhile initiatives in order to be better educators.  

A light was shone on three outstanding educators from Western Australia recently as part of being awarded a 2023 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Award.   Congratulations to Nadine Stapleton of South Hedland Primary School, Jade Foster of Mount Tarcoola Primary School and Lauren Warschauer of Byford Secondary College.

Nadine Stapleton
Jade Foster
Lauren Warschauer

Nadine Stapleton, an Early Childhood Teacher in Western Australia, prioritizes communication at South Hedland Primary School. She works with a diverse student body, including 62% First Nations children, and has implemented initiatives like the Green and Red Choices program, using gestures and props to improve communication and behaviour. Nadine also fosters community relationships through events and KindiLink sessions, aiming to create a safe space for children and families and dispel negative perceptions about education.

Jade Foster, a primary school teacher and instructional coach at Mount Tarcoola Primary School, improved student outcomes by implementing evidence-based teaching strategies. Her efforts resulted in consistent high scores in English and Mathematics, and she also shared her knowledge with other teachers, mentored educators from the region, supervised student teachers, and hosted parent workshops to enhance early literacy and numeracy skills.

The third winner, Lauren Warschauer, is a health and PE teacher who has successfully implemented her Engage programme within her secondary school. The program has transformed the health and wellbeing of many of her students with her innovative approach to building their skills and understanding of ways to live a healthier life, as well as improving student engagement.  

Engage is an 8-week program developed by Lauren, where students come to school early twice a week. In these early morning sessions, they participate in fitness activities, cooking classes and healthy meal preparation. Students also get the opportunity to hear from inspiring guest speakers from their community and beyond. Participants are given opportunities to volunteer in their community, as well as get involved in team building activities to develop their leadership and communication skills; skills which have been found to be key contributors to confidence and success.  

‘Warschauer transformed the health and wellbeing of many of her students with her innovative approach…’

The Foundation is pleased to see that Lauren hails from a Fogarty EDvance school. The Fogarty EDvance School Improvement Program provides high quality support to build leadership capability and increase the overall effectiveness of schools, through a unique three-year professional development opportunity, which brings together the best practices, resources and tools from education, business and philanthropy. 

Commonwealth Bank partnered with Schools Plus to sponsor the Awards celebrating transformational learning. Applicants are required to have significantly contributed to a measurable improvement in student learning within their institution, using high impact, effective and evidence-based leadership practices. Schools Plus has been working to close the gap caused by educational disadvantage in Australia. Its mission is to facilitate sustainable change to help children facing difficult circumstances. Through Awards such as these, excellent educators are championed and offer inspiration to others involved in the sector.  

The celebratory breakfast hosted by UWA and the Fogarty Foundation on 27 September champions all that has been achieved since the formation of the UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program in 2003. 

A recording of the breakfast celebration is available here.

20 years ago, history was made with the commencement of a partnership between the Fogarty Foundation and the University of Western Australia to establish an elite scholarship program for high achieving young Western Australians; the first ever undergraduate scholarship of its kind in Australia.  Fast-forward to September 2023 and we are delighted to be celebrating our current scholars, our alumni and our colleagues at UWA.  

The celebratory event to mark 20 years of partnership as part of the Scholarship program championed all that has been achieved since its formation in 2003.   Dr Annie Fogarty’s speech at the Breakfast gave the opportunity to reflect on the vast achievements of the Fogarty Foundation Scholars and alumni, which includes several global projects, initiatives, and partnerships.

‘These scholarships are built on the foundatiOn of excellence‘ ANNIE Fogarty, 2023

Attendees enjoyed hearing from keynote speaker Rob Scott, Managing Director and CEO of Wesfarmers, reflecting on the importance of a lifelong love for learning, something which drives his passion to continue to grow and achieve.

This celebration was an opportunity for scholars, alumni, staff, and relevant professionals to reflect on the Fogarty Foundation Scholar programme; as well as look forward to further projects, initiatives and collaborations which may grow within this ever-expanding network of notable individuals.  A quality seen in all our Scholars and alumni is the passion and drive to excel in their field and make a contribution to society. As the leaders of today – and tomorrow – we look forward to seeing the increasing impact they will make.  

This celebration exemplifies the drive by the Fogarty Foundation to drive sustainable change by helping create a brighter future through education, leadership and raising aspirations.   

We are grateful to the University of Western Australia for being such a wonderful partner over these two decades and congratulate all our Scholars, past and present, for their efforts and achievements.  As the Foundation’s logo suggests, the change we ignite is a ripple, starting with the youth of today and continuing through strong leadership for tomorrow. 

The UWA Fogarty Scholars Program has produced an impressive roster of alumni who are leaders in their fields. From doctors and engineers to entrepreneurs and educators, these scholars are making waves and driving positive change worldwide. Their accomplishments stand as a testament to the power of education, leadership, and community engagement.

We hope you made some new connections at our celebratory breakfast. Stay in touch with us through Facebook, LinkedIn and X; and you can also find all our amazing young leaders through our NEW scholar’s database. Please also enjoy our two latest films, one that promotes our Scholarship program and another that provides some insights into the paths of our alumni, which features six of our Scholars who are now living and working elsewhere in the world. Below is a photo gallery from the celebration breakfast.

What do ballet shoes, nerf guns, dones and a tongue have in common? Well, they all had a starring role at the FameLab Academy science speaking competition held at Curtin University on 6 September.

Audience members enjoyed hearing talented Year 9 students from across Western Australia compete in the event. The FameLab competition sees 14 to 15 year olds encouraged to hone their communication skills by giving a three minute talk about a topic of interest in the area of science. The topics are chosen by students and their presentations are judged by three professionals skilled in the area of science communication on the Content, Clarity and Charisma of their presentations (known as FameLab’s three C’s).

At the 2023 awards, presentations from the 12 finalists included:

It was particularly pleasing to see Cunderdin District High School make it through to the finals; congratulations Charli Hansen for your talk on “The Advances in DNA Interpretation in Forensics throughout the years” together with Anastasia Husk from Fogarty EDvance alumni school Aveley Secondary College. Anastasia educated us about biomechanics with her presentation “Injury-Proof and On Point – a Dance through Science”.

The Foundation wishes to thank the science teachers, parents, guardians and others who supported competition participants through the year. We congratulate all 12 schools and students who made it into the final and encourage all schools that participated this year to do so again in 2024.

Fogarty Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of the Next Gen Western Australia Showcase Event, an opportunity to recognise young people and educators from across WA working to develop their skills, bring their ideas to life, and get a headstart on their chosen pathway.


The Next Gen Western Australia Showcase Event will see us recognising the top three finalists for six award categories centred around entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership, and we will be celebrating the West Australian winner for each category.


Entries for these awards are open to all young West Australians and their educators until the 19th of September 2023, with a special prize giving ceremony held in Perth in November.


Make sure to nominate yourself or someone you know today. For more information, head to: www.bopindustries.com/next-gen-wa

The Fogarty UWA Scholars enjoyed learning about life as a diplomat when they had the benefit of listening to US Consul General Ms Siriana Nair at their most recent ‘In Conversation’ event held on 30 August.

The Scholars learned that, over her 20 year career, Ms Nair has served in India, the Philippines, Morocco, Washington, Indonesia, Brazil and now in Australia where she is committed to growing U.S. partnerships.  She is also impressively skilled in foreign languages, speaking six in total (Indonesian, French, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese and English)!

On the evening, Scholars heard about some remarkable achievements including her work in Brazil, India and Indonesia, ranging from foreign policy to democracy and human rights, military and security cooperation, and the South China Sea.

Most impressive was Ms Nair’s recount of working closely with the Moroccan authorities to encourage reform of their prisons, which included by hosting a field trip to see how the US run their prisons which enabled some significant improvements to be adopted, that are still in place today.

So how does someone get to hold a role like Consul General?  Ms. Nair has a Master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, as well as degrees in Political Science and Biology from Wellesley College.   

Something some attendees did not know is that Ms Nair’s husband is also in the foreign service and it was interesting to hear her views on making life work when a couple – and parents – are both diplomats.  We thank Ms Nair for her time and know our Scholars and alumni found it a valuable event.

Fogarty Foundation was a proud partner of TedX Kings Park Youth for its annual event held on Saturday 29 July at the State Theatre in Perth’s CBD. The jam packed event featured several inspiring young speakers, a 30 second idea challenge, talented singers and two short films, including one that was entirely AI generated.

Our wonderful UWA Fogarty Scholars manned our display as part of the Activation Zone, with a four part challenge – created by our Scholars – to complete for those eager to try their hand at spinning the wheel for a prize.

Many thanks to our helpers, Caleb Adams, Mariya Faisal, Lucius Beh, Jake Mawson, Juliet Roux and Jade Wallwork, who shared information with attendees about the upcoming Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference and our UWA Fogarty Scholarships. We were also pleased to promote BOP Industries’ Next Gen Awards 2023, for which the Foundation is sponsoring the six Awards for Western Australia’s youth and educators.

To find out more, visit:

Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference is at : https://fogartyfutures.org/

UWA Fogarty Scholarships can be found at: https://scholars.fogartyfoundation.org.au/ and https://www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au/futurestudents/uwa-fogarty-foundation

Next Gen Awards 2023 info is at: https://www.bopindustries.com/next-gen

TedX Kings Park Youth: https://tedxkingspark.org/event/youth23/

The Menzies Foundation is delighted to announce a collaboration with Global Voices, a non-partisan, youth-led, Australian not-for-profit organisation, committed to developing the next generation of leaders by providing practical experience in policymaking, international relations, and diplomacy.

This partnership will assist in extending the Global Voices reach to a National scholarship program and offer two additional scholarships to exceptional 18-30 year old Australians. Menzies Foundation is thrilled to announce the support of two positions at highly influential forums—the IMF and World Bank Annual Meeting delegation, and the Commission on the Status of Women delegation.

🌎 Applications are open for the IMF & World Bank Annual Meetings to be held in Marrakech, Morocco from the 9th – 15th of October 2023. Follow this link to see if you’re eligible and to apply: https://lnkd.in/g4nTgFC6

♀ Applications are open for the UN Commission on the Status of Women to be held in NYC, USA from the 11th – 22nd March 2024. Follow this link to see if you’re eligible and to apply: https://lnkd.in/gBrBsfpA

❓ Want to know more? Then registers for one of our three information sessions next week through this link: https://lnkd.in/gtbmwk5x

⏰ Applications are open until Sunday 6 August at 11:59pm AEST. Visit the delegation pages on our website for more information. 👉https://lnkd.in/gUabEUGS

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