Update from the 2024 annual fundraising event
On the 5th of September 2024, the Anika Foundation held its 19th annual fundraising event.
The Governor of the Reserve Bank, Michele Bullock, spoke to financial markets participants on issues related to monetary policy. The meeting was well attended with 312 paying guests and a table of economics students from SCEGGS Darlinghurst (Anika’s old school).
National Australia Bank made a significant contribution in sponsoring all the costs for putting on the event at the Hotel Hyatt Regency in the city.
Prior to the Governor’s speech the guests heard from the Chair of the ABE, Besa Deda, Cathryn Carver, the Group Head of Corporate and Institutional banking at National Australia Bank, and Jo-An Occhipinti of Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Centre, (who is supervising one of the Foundation PhD students).
Jo-An also spoke at the subsequent Anika Foundation Board Meeting on the social and economic factors in adolescent depression and suicide.
The board heard from three past teacher/scholars about their travelling scholarships: Tiffany Barreca (2020), Sophie Limbert (2023), and Penny Evans (2023). They were accompanied by the head of Mental Health Services in NSW schools Pauline Kotselus. All 3 scholars attested to the benefit of their trips for both their work and their own development and self-esteem.
Tiffany (a head teacher) visited mainly North American universities (Stanford, MIT, Manitoba), Monash and University of QLD. She focused on the multi-facetted nature of educative processes including compassion and is working to set up statewide teams. Sophie visited US institutions. She works on traumas that put students at risk following natural disasters, but also stabbings and shootings. According to Sophie, videos work best for tele-psychological services. Penny is the head of a distance education centre. She visited the USA and Fremantle (to visit the Australian Association of Distance Education). She believes a whole-of-school approach is needed. Even though students learn in their own homes, it works much better if the emotional side is included, such as predictable routines and a morning check-ups with everyone. Visual links are important, and if students don’t have laptops they are provided by her centre.
In all the fundraising day was a great success, and the Board was very pleased to get feedback from the foundation teacher alumni.
The Board would also like to thank the financial market participants who come each year. While hearing the Governor speak is the main attraction, most participants have children and tell us that supporting adolescent depression research is also a factor in their attendance.