Latest News & Events

Community Impact Project Presentations and Graduation

5 September 2025

We are delighted to welcome our 2025 March Rising Leadership Program cohort into our Leadership WA Alumni Community, following their graduation on Friday 5 September 2025.

Final Experience Day and Project Presentations

These 29 inspirational, dedicated and engaging leaders embraced their final Experience Day, where they presented their impressive Community Impact Projects.

The Projects are an integral part of the Rising Leadership Program and enable the Participants to put into practice their insights and learning. Aligned to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, the Projects require our Rising leaders to work in groups – with the objective of developing an idea that will create a positive difference for our WA community.

This year, the Projects built on the work of previous cohorts with the March Rising Project Groups taking previously conceived Project ideas and further developing them, deepening the reach and impact.

  • Zero Hunger Project – Zero Hunger Lunchbox Reheated | With the objective to provide a hand up not a handout, this Project was focused on normalising the use of food relief services. The team focused on a centralised resource that includes budget friendly recipes, food relief services and personal stories from those affected by food insecurity. The next step is to secure long-term sponsorship to fund the maintenance of the Zero Hunger Lunchbox website and develop a supporting digital media campaign*.
  • No Poverty Project – Grandcarers Digital Access & Literacy Initiative | This Project aimed to reduce digital exclusion and financial strain for grandparent carers across Western Australia, by distributing refurbished laptops and providing structured, small-group digital literacy workshops tailored to the lived experiences of Grandparent carers. Future growth opportunities include enhanced training modules and adapting the model for other communities facing digital literacy barriers*.
  • Reducing Inequalities Project – GenConnect | Focused on increasing well-being for seniors, this Project devised an excursion-based delivery model that brings WA secondary students together with seniors and aligns the project activities with WA high school curriculum outcomes. The next steps, to further its impact, include promoting the GenConnect Program through relevant education and aged care networks, and integrating within VET and career pathways*.

We are incredibly grateful to our Community Impact Project Mentors, who provided support and guidance to our Project Teams throughout the Program; our thanks to:

Graduation Celebrations

The celebrations continued into the evening, at the Graduation Ceremony, with our graduands being joined by their guests, managers, Leadership WA Partners and supporters, for the grand finale of the March 2025 cohort’s Rising journey.

Leadership WA Board Member, Christina Mathews AM, welcomed those in the room, while reflecting on the importance and impact of inspirational and inclusive leadership. Highlights of the evening included the announcement of the March 2025 Rising Valedictorian and Centre for Stories Award for Journey of a Lifetime.

Kate Bird, Agency Capability Review Manager, Public Sector Commission was awarded as Valedictorian. Recognised by her Rising peers, Kate gave a warm, inspiring and funny Valedictory speech, reflecting on her personal journey, along with that of the cohort through the Program.

Leanne Stojmenov, Rehearsal Director at West Australian Ballet was presented with the Journey of a Lifetime Award, presented by Robert Wood (Rising 2023), as he reflected on the power and connection of storytelling.

Our thanks to Deloitte for generously hosting our special occasion.

Share the Impact

Projects can be developed by any organisation and it would be wonderful to have them carried forward. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the Community Impact Project Reports, please be in touch with us.

If you would like to contribute to future Rising cohorts as a Community Impact Project Mentor or learn more about our leadership development opportunities, please email us at: connect@leadershipwa.org.au

Graduation photo of 2025 March Rising Leadership Program cohort