Enlighten’s Founders and National Directors

Dannielle Miller, CEO, Enlighten Education

Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Graduate Certificate in Management (Professional Practice), Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training

“When working with teenagers, it is important to engage them emotionally; if you can capture their hearts, their minds will follow. I am incredibly proud of the work we do and passionate about acting as a catalyst for change.”

Dannielle is a highly respected and experienced educator, author and media commentator on issues affecting teenage girls.

Beginning her career as a high school teacher, she was soon on the path to becoming a major innovator and expert in the field of education. As English Coordinator at a dual-campus high school, she was responsible for the curriculum, staffing and quality of learning of the English faculty. Her commitment to student welfare was clear, and she was then commissioned by the Federal Government to be the Full Service Schools Coordinator for high schools – public, Catholic and independent – in the Western Sydney region. In this role, she assessed and advised on programs aimed at keeping in school those students who were at risk of dropping out before completing their education; her advice formed the basis for government funding decisions.

Having gained unique insight into how best to help at-risk students meet their full potential, she was inspired to start up a new program fusing the most effective strategies. The Lighthouse Project was born: mentors give at-risk students workplace responsibilities, which helps the students develop employment skills and allows them to discover the real-world relevance of what they learn at school. This immensely successful program continues in Western Sydney, assuring a bright future for students who may otherwise drop out.

Another of Dannielle’s innovations was a Higher School Certificate (HSC) course she developed in the field of service learning. This type of learning develops students’ entrepreneurial skills while at the same time involving them in meaningful volunteer work that benefits the community. Their work received NSW Board of Studies approval and brought a whole new level of interest to this positive and forward-thinking approach to education.

Her achievements in student welfare and curriculum development, plus long-held concerns about girls’ struggles with body image and self-esteem, came together in 2003, when Dannielle joined with fellow educator Francesca Kaoutal to found their own company, Enlighten Education. The company is based on the belief that by entering into, and engaging with, the world of teenage girls, they can encourage meaningful and constructive conversations about gender, identity, education, careers and girls’ futures.

Enlighten Education won the 2007 Australian Small Business Champion award for Children’s Services and is now a national network of passionate, talented women. In 2007 Dannielle was named the NSW /ACT Small Business Champion Entrepreneur.

In 2009, The Weekend Australian newspaper named Dannielle Australia’s number 1 Emerging Leader in Learning.

Dannielle delights in working with thousands of teenage girls across Australia and New Zealand each year, and she is regularly called upon by the media for her expertise on teen issues. She is an avid blogger (http://enlighteneducation.edublogs.org) and the author of The Butterfly Effect (Random House Australia, September 2009), a book on raising happy, confident teenage girls by forging deeply connected and loving mother-daughter relationships. Her achievements are featured in education journals, her articles have appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, and she is a popular speaker at youth and education conferences and forums.

Dannielle offers parent and teacher information sessions and is available to speak at seminars and conferences. See: Parent Information Sessions – run by Enlighten’s CEO Dannielle Miller.

She can be contacted by the media on 0412 097 977 and has her own website: www.danniellemiller.com.au.

Francesca Kaoutal

Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

“My greatest achievements include having a wonderful family and a satisfying career. My aim has always been to inspire in young people a belief in their own potential and a belief that learning can be fun and relevant to their world.”

In Francesca’s teaching career before co-founding Enlighten Education, she combined creativity with technologies expertise. She worked as a Learning Technologies Coordinator and has led curriculum development within various high schools, devised new curriculum for the Higher School Certificate Technology courses in New South Wales, devised a cross-curricular teaching program to integrate social justice into the classroom, and led students to enhance their business IT skills by developing and creating IT-based products and services for the school and business communities.

Francesca has also brought her creativity and her desire to empower students to her role as a costume designer for the annual Rock Eisteddfod. Francesca particularly enjoys sharing her passion and flair for creating and designing in the “Style File” component of our programs. In our “Get It Together” workshops, she specialises in helping young women learn to prioritise, become organised and maximise their potential.