Empowering First Nations girls

Trinity Bay State High School Parents and Citizens’ (P&C) association in Cairns is a recipient of the Queensland Government’s Empowering Queensland Women grant, supporting its First Nations SHELLS (Sisterhood Healing, Empowerment, Leadership and Learning) program.

SHELLS gives First Nations female students hands-on experience in native foods, weaving and cultural enterprise.

Through the program, students learn to:

  • grow and harvest native foods
  • develop business skills like planning, budgeting and promotion
  • understand the cultural significance of food and fibre.

Responding to community voice

Amy Byng, the school’s Safety, Wellbeing & Injury Management Coordinator, said the program was shaped by community feedback.

“A lot of the students, the community, the parents, the teachers, said they wanted to learn about each other’s cultures. They also said that they want to learn through celebration,” Amy said.

“Our First Nations Elder, Aunty Laura, mention wanting to continue the knowledge through schools with what she has done, to understand what is food and fibre, and why it’s so significant and why we need to continue that knowledge.”

Filling a gap for girls

While programs existed for First Nations boys, there were limited opportunities for girls.

The SHELLS program addresses this gap—offering a culturally safe space where students can:

  • build confidence
  • strengthen connection to culture
  • feel more engaged at school.

It also provides cross-curricular learning, helping embed cultural knowledge across subjects.

Building skills and confidence

Students will harvest and sell produce, supporting the sustainability of the program while gaining real-world skills in:

  • business and entrepreneurship
  • marketing and sales
  • teamwork and leadership.

They may also create resources, such as cookbooks, to share cultural knowledge with their peers— building cultural confidence without even realising it.

Strengthening community connections

The Empowering Queensland Women grant has enabled stronger collaboration with Traditional Owners and First Nations Elders, who guide students in cultural practices and knowledge.

“We wanted to keep things as close to traditional way of doing things, to maintain that traditional knowledge, as requested by Aunty Laura,” Amy said.

“It gives them a purpose and a place to be, and that’s really important for these girls. It’s something to be proud of.”

Four First Nations girls sitting on the edges of a raised garden bed tending to the small seedlings they've planted.
Native foods garden planted by First Nations girls in the SHELLS program

Last reviewed:17 June 2026

Last modified:17 June 2026