Enlighten is a Gold & Silver Business Award Winner

Contact the Enlighten Education head office on 1300 735 997

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.
Weekend Australian Featuring Danni as Australia's Number 1 Emerging Leader in Learning

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.

Victorian Team Members

Catherine Manning

Director of Say No 4 Kids

Catherine


“Every girl has so much to offer the world, but many girls are being suffocated by the onslaught of media and advertising directed at them. Never before have I felt it so necessary for us to connect with our girls and give them the tools to help decipher the potentially harmful messages, and to help them realise they are not alone. It’s an absolute privilege to deliver these tools in a fun and positive way through my work with Enlighten Education.”

As a passionate defender of women’s and children’s rights, Catherine is excited about her work with Enlighten Education. She began her career in 1987 in the advertising and graphics departments of Channel Seven Melbourne, where she gained invaluable insight into the television industry. Catherine left Channel Seven to raise her family and manage her own business from home. She was Events Coordinator for The Opera School Melbourne, facilitating in-school opera performances and community events.

Since 2009 Catherine has been the director of the children’s rights advocacy group Say No 4 Kids, which campaigns to end children’s exposure to highly sexualised material in the media and public domain. She has been involved in a number of environmental campaigns and has convened various community advocacy groups.

 

Nikki Davis

Bachelor of Arts (Communications)

Nikki


“I get the most amazing reaction from people when I tell them about Enlighten and what we do. I believe that many people – both genders, all ages and walks of life – are becoming more and more aware of the need for the work Enlighten does with today’s girls. I have never been more proud to talk about my work and the fact that I get to remind all these gorgeous girls just how special they are.”

A trained dancer and former dance teacher, Nikki spent a number of years performing as a dancer and modelling professionally after completing her Communications degree. Her passion for writing led to a position as the editor of a magazine for young dancers, and a scriptwriting role with a production company followed. Then she moved into a producer role, working on the creation of videos and special events, and often appearing on camera as host.

Training to be a volunteer telephone counsellor with Lifeline gave Nikki the opportunity to explore her interest in counselling and psychotherapy, which she continues to study. It quickly became clear to Nikki during her time at Lifeline that she was particularly interested in social issues related to girls and women.

A former high school student of Enlighten’s CEO, Dannielle Miller, Nikki wanted to be involved the moment she saw the work Enlighten was doing in the community. Experienced in front of a crowd, with lots of stories to tell and a special interest in young women, Nikki has a proven rapport with school-aged girls and offers a unique insight into the worlds of fashion, entertainment and the arts.

 

Enlighten Education is proud to be a part of the transformation process in the following schools

Testimonials From Local Schools
 

Thank you for another great day. The students really enjoyed the day and they got so much out of the program. We feel it is a really valuable day for our students and enables the students to gain important life skills as well as being able to spend the day together as a group. Excellent.

Jenny-May Wilson

Marian College, Sunshine West, Victoria

Catherine The Great was fantastic and really engaged with our students. She presented the material in an honest and heartfelt manner, this particularly so due to the fact that she is a mother herself. St Margarets would love to have her present the workshops again in the future. It was a terrific way to end the term. Thank you.

Georgie Armstrong, Head of Life Skills

St Margaret's School, Berwick VIC

Dannielle Miller is gold! Her rapport with our Year 7 girls (and then Year 8’s the following day) was instant! Their eyes and ears were glued to her the entire day. The topics covered were exactly what they needed to be and we believe that our students did walk away from the event more informed, more inspired and more self-confident. Thank you Enlighten Education.

Yvette Egonidis, Year 7 Coordinator

Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School

Thank you so very much to Christine and Catherine! Everything was so easy and ran so smoothly – from the initial booking to the day itself. Catherine, you were so engaging and the girls loved you. The program has provided a fantastic springboard for us to base our Pastoral Care program on.

Hayley Keel

Catholic Regional College, Caroline Springs

This is our second dealing with Enlighten Education and Nikki as the key presenter. The information leading up to the event is extremely informative and relevant, it certainly makes things easy to organise from this end. Nikki is a brilliant speaker and presenter and they are without doubt the best workshops our students have attended. The kids were simply glowing in their praise and I know many of Nikki’s key messages will remain with the girls. If our school can receive similar grants again in 2012 Enlighten Education will be the first company we will book.
Regards Kristen Waldron

Kristen Waldron

Hamilton and Alexandra College

Having read the girl's evaluations, how can one doubt that this experience was an outstanding and positive one for them. As Year Level Co-Ordinator, I have had girls come to me re issues of bullying, in an assertive manner, as a result of this program. On Monday, there was a real positive vibe around the school, as if the girls had discovered something new. The girls are proudly wearing their pink arm bands. Thank you for a rewarding experience.

Olga Cymbalak, Year 8 Co-Ordinator

Catholic Regional College, Nth Keilor

The girls from Year 8 loved 'The Butterfly Effect' and it has definitely had a lasting impact on them. Our school has had feedback from the parents to say what a difference it has made to their daughter's attitude to things at home and teachers were positive about the program. I would definitely be interested in running a program for our girls in the future. Thank you.

Belinda Frew, Year 8 Coordinator

Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School

I thought the day was a wonderful experience for our year 9 girls. They were interested in each workshop and Sonia’s positive demeanor had a huge impact on the girls. They learnt important information about staying safe, standing up for themselves and how to further appreciate / value who they are. Even now, the girls are still talking about their experience from the day, showing that they really valued those workshops. Sonia was able to very quickly gain the trust of the girls and they just loved her!! They also provided ample detail on their self reflections which were all very positive. I can not speak highly enough about the program. Thank you so much.

Kristen Watson, Year 9 Focus Day Coordinator

St Joseph’s College Echuca

I think the day was fantastic! It was very valuable to the girls who gained so much from the day. Sonia’s energy and enthusiasm really hit a cord with the group. They leant some vital skills and information about body image, self confidence and valuing who you are. Excellent!! Even the following week, some of the students were saying that they were still on a high and others were saying that they do the affirmations and positive self talk.

Donna Taylor, B UR Best Coordinator

St Joseph’s College Echuca

The workshops provided where delivered with professionalism and passion. Sonia demonstrated the traits she was encouraging within her own story and in her dealings with the girls at all times. Sonia’s group management was a credit to her experience but also to her genuine appreciation for young girls and their value and uniqueness. This group of girls arrived very skeptical and somewhat reluctantly and left buzzing, enthusiastic and pleasantly surprised and encouraged, as was very evident in the feedback forms. The content of the workshops was up-to-date, relevant and fun as well as informative.

Analy Alfonso, Welfare Officer

Heritage College – Narre Warren Campus

I read the girls' responses from the day with great delight, Sonia. You have done well. I don't think I can remember such an overwhelmingly positive response to a workshop before! Congratulations.

Renata Rowe, Head of Secondary (Plenty Campus)

Ivanhoe Grammar School

Now! This was a hugely successful event. The girls were tentative to their approach as they walked in but Sonia had them eating out of her hands the minute she greeted them. A lovely, soft, gentle yet powerful facilitator - a role model for girls. Our group of girls are still absolutely buzzing. They really do feel empowered and loved Sonia's enthusiasm and positive approach. We (the staff) appreciated being able to participate without having to worry about doing anything. Everything was taken care of.

Bronwyn Heath, Year 8 Coordinator

Ballarat Grammar

Sonia was bright, bubbly and energetic; it was hard for the girls not to love her! You could tell she was so passionate about sharing the information with the students. Great workshops with some practical activities to mix things up a bit. Well worth incorporating into our program - we look forward to it again next year. Thanks so much!

Karen Bryce, Health and Human Development Teacher

Kilvington Girls' Grammar

Thank you so much Sonia for an absolutely fantastic workshop and day with the girls. I was very apprehensive about the day and how it would go; there was a lot to organise and some schools were less receptive than others about the whole girls' thing'. Had they been there on Thursday they would have changed their opinions. To see the girls so receptive and willing to listen and share their thoughts was so brilliant. The quiet girls bonded with the more confident girls. The girls who are less accepted by the so called ‘more popular’ girls shone out as they shared their feelings. Girls who are often pushed aside by the ‘popular’ girls felt confident enough to express their feelings in front of others and the other girls saw this as very brave.

For me personally, it helped reinforce the need for such programs for girls. Girls are special and do need to be nurtured along life’s journey. All the work Mary and I have done with the girls was further reinforced by your workshops, Sonia. Thank you. You were/are a breath of fresh air. The girls loved that about you. Your honesty, your enthusiasm and your love for your job was refreshing and it made the girls more willing to listen and respond. The evaluation comments from the girls are really important and worthwhile to read. I read them and it made my heart flutter. You should have been on the bus on the way home, which was awesome too.

Best wishes to you Sonia and the Enlighten Education group. The work you are doing is worthwhile and motivating. It would be a pleasure to pass the good word around.

Fiona Isles, Wellbeing Officer

Portland Education Network Office

It was a great day and when asked the girls respond with enthusiasm this far down the line (2 weeks). Many of our students live so much in the moment that they move on within days so 'The Journey' day definitely had an impact. Thanks Jane.

Colleen Brown, Health and Wellbeing Officer

Portland Area Schools - 8 schools

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the day, and I believe they took a lot away with them. The topics covered on the day were very relevant to the girls and where they are in their lives. Dannielle knew her material and knew how to reach out to the girls in a way that made them want to listen and change and take on board the messages she presented to them. The information night presented to parents was informative and the parents came away enlightened and with positive strategies on how to deal with their teenage girls. Parents were very grateful for the opportunity to listen to Dannielle.

We will definitely invite Enlighten Education to work with our students again and hope we will have the opportunity for Dannielle to present to our parents again in the future.

Kathy Harris, Year 8 Coordinator

Mt Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale, Victoria

Just wanted to pass on to your company what a wonderful afternoon our Year 7-9 girls have just experienced. Your presenter Nikki was just terrific and she had the girls eating out of her hands! The content was spot on and the girls certainly left on a real high. It was a pleasure reading the feedback sheets and we look forward to working with your company again.

Kristen Waldron

Hamilton College, Hamilton, Victoria

Danni...what can I say! I have just read the comments on facebook...

What you achieved with our girls yesterday was remarkable. It is a message that we could not achieve in two years!! I really want to thank you.

Being a new (relatively young) Principal in a girls school, yesterday really gave me a good opportunity to reflect on my own wishes for our students. I love being a Teacher and a Principal and I really love Clonard and each of the students that I have been blessed with in caring for. Watching our students respond to you was an amazing experience.

Clonard is a truly special place. I am very proud of our girls. It was an absolute privilege to sit through all of your sessions finding myself captivated by every moment. What I really couldn't get over at the end was the line of girls that just wanted to hug you and say thanks. Talk about special!!!

A number of the teachers there yesterday came up to me and said how much they had learnt. It's true...you can teach a teacher!!!

I feel that your powerful message will stay with these students for their journey through Clonard. I know it will be something that I will refer back to when the going gets tough.

I feel privileged to have met you, listened to you and learnt from you. I do know now what Jemma and Mel (our two Yr 11 girls who attended the Insight Conference) were talking about!!!

Thank you and I hope that we can have you back in 2011.

Damian McKew, Principal

Clonard College, Geelong West, Victoria