Welcome to “Goodfellas”

As the co-founder and CEO of Australia’s largest provider of in-school workshops for girls, Enlighten Education, and as an author of three books aimed at supporting young women, I am often asked, ”But what about the boys?“

Yes. Boys absolutely need and deserve support. As the mother of a teenage son, this matters to me at a deeply personal level.

Disengagement from school, the pressure to look buffed, feeling like they cannot express the full range of emotions, fall outs with their mates, limiting gender stereotypes… all are issues plaguing our boys. Meanwhile we also need to do the urgent work that is required to educate them in order to help eliminate violence against women.

My years of experience in education, and expertise in designing multi-award winning, engaging programs that can be delivered in schools, lead me to design our debut program – ”Myth Busting; busting stereotypes that harm boys.“ I also called on the wisdom of colleague and anti-violence campaigner Nina Funnell in producing elements of this – it truly is a considered, positive, and pro-active initiative.

And because I believe boys need more strong male role models, I engage highly experienced, qualified presenters with proven track records of working face-to-face with boys and men to lead these conversations that matter.

I am really proud of this initiative, and of my team. I know that together we will help raise some really good fellas.

Dannielle Miller

Our Presenters

Jack Ellis was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Throughout his high school years he embraced his many diverse interests; he studied drama while also being captain of the school AFL football team, and excelling in ballet classes.

Jack moved to Adelaide in 2005 and studied Psychology at Flinders University before completing a Bachelor of Education/Arts (Flinders Uni), majoring in English and Drama. While studying Jack had a daily radio show at SAFM. He was Drama Coordinator at Saint Margaret Mary’s Catholic school in Adelaide before being accepted in the full time acting course at NIDA in 2012.

Since graduating from NIDA in 2014, Jack has appeared in Channel 7’s Home and Away, feature film 2:22, short films Trigger and Stranger, as well as starring as the lead role in feature film, The Debt Collector. He recently performed the lead in New York in the off-Broadway production of Wolf in the River and starred in Netflix feature film Sweet River.

Jack has worked as a movement/drama practitioner at NIDA, Sport for Jove Theatre company, Actors Centre, The Academy of Film, Television and Theatre School as well as the Sydney Drama School. He has worked as an actor, guest speaker, mentor, performing arts professional, tutor, arts facilitator, artist (he loves both painting and drawing) radio show host and school teacher for various primary and high schools.

Jack has delivered exceptional programs for boys with Enlighten Education for over five years. He is most proud of the work he has done with us, and for Women’s Community Shelters where he has lead the facilitation with teen boys of their domestic violence prevention program, Walk The Talk.

Watch Jack Ellis on the Daily Edition

Testimonials

The day was fantastic! Thank you very much! Jack was so engaging and really kept the boys focused. The learning intention and discussions were spot on.

Samantha Judge, Killarney Heights Public School, NSW

What a gift we have been given to be invited to participate in this Program! Jack was dynamic, passionate, generous and so engaging. My students were in awe and enamoured. As Head Teacher Wellbeing, it is not often I come across an initiative that 100% of students are invested in. Walk the Talk has achieved this. My students left the session feeling energised, empowered, inspired and ready to take action.

Leah Pappin, Head Teacher Wellbeing, Randwick Boys High School, NSW

Thank you so much for the student feedback- it is fantastic to read. Jack had a great day with the boys, they were very engaged and responsive to his message. Jack did an amazing job with them!

Tegan Sutton, Year Level Coordinator – Year 8, Canterbury College, Qld

The Goodfellas Program recently trekked to Queensland to visit our school at Redbank Plains State High School. From pre-event organisation to program delivery on the day and follow up post visit, the Goodfellas team was nothing short of amazing – they presented to a cohort of our Year 9 boys and delivered engaging and insightful information into debunking a number of damaging myths young men face and deal with regularly during their journeys through adolescence. I had the pleasure of sitting in on presentations by both Ben and Jack – two respectable young men who captured the attention of our cohort and engaged our students throughout their presentations. What a fantastic supplemental program to our social wellbeing and resilience program that we deliver at Redbank Plains State High School! A big thank you to the team at Goodfellas for value adding and providing our young men with not only strategies to debunk further myths they may face, but key messages about the importance of being a strong male in society – a “Goodfella”. We look forward to you returning to our community in 2018.Thanks.

Lucas Nicholls, HOD – Junior Secondary School, Redbank Plains State High School

As a large comprehensive High School we find it difficult to find presenters and workshops that engage boys in that Yr 9/10 age bracket. The boys usual response is to rubbish it before it starts. In the middle of the year we enlisted ‘goodfellas’ to work with over one hundred boys. We deliberately did not tell the students too much about the day as we did not want them coming in with pre-conceived ideas about the level of relevance to them. After 10 minutes Ben Barber who ran the program had them hooked. This level of engagement flowed onto the rest of the workshop and we even had the boys asking if we could have them back at another time. For me a lot of the presentations I book are a bit like washing your car, you know when you have done it, but you don’t see much evidence after a month. Although the group of boys were not bad in any way they needed a lift and some identity to the school and I can say that the ‘goodfellas’ program has done that nine months down the track, and we can still see the effects of this program. I recommend ‘goodfellas’ to any school looking for a worthwhile positive program for teenage boys.

Adam Lawson, Pastoral Programs Co-ordinator, Holy Spirit College.

Thank you Jack and Dannielle – what an extraordinary day in the lives of our young Year 10 men. Our key words for the cohort this year are respect and integrity. Today, Jack, you demonstrated to them exactly how that looks. It was incredible to see how engaged and attentive they were and I look forward to seeing their ideas in action as the year progresses. Such powerful messages delivered with such authenticity.

Donna Findlay, Head of Senior School, Oakhill College

The Goodfellas presenters were brilliant – so engaging and approachable! Many of our students find school a challenge but the feedback they gave us showed they connected to the program in a deep, and thoughtful way. Our event was simply amazing!

Elizabeth Schuring, Year coordinator, Redbank Plains State High School.

I just wanted to convey how outstanding Jack’s presentation was this morning. He was a captivating presenter and the boys were engaged from start to finish. I noticed a number of students go up to Jack for a handshake and a conversation following the presentation.

Adam Hine, Year 9 Grammar Coordinator, Senior English Teacher, Pittwater House

The presenter… Jack was sensational. He had so much enthusiasm and passion. The students absolutely loved him. The content presented was also fantastic and very relevant. I really felt that each and every student took something away from this and I would absolutely recommend this for every school. Many thanks!

Natalie Gaudiosi, Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing, Emmaus Catholic College

Thank you, thank you, thank you for such an outstanding day yesterday. Seeing the students engaged and lost in the words of your presenters was truly inspiring. The fun, kind-natured personalities of your presenters made for an enjoyable day for staff and students. You can tell the love and passion that you have for such an important issue.

Melissa Kane, Year 9 Coordinator, Rouse Hill High School

The boy’s feedback was very positive – Jack is a great presenter. Could we have him back next month to work with our Year 8’s too?

Greg Wacker, Director of Students Years 7-12, Canterbury College

Jack was great and the boys really enjoyed his presentation. Their feedback was very positive and they were inspired to change their thinking as a result of his messages. I would definitely like to book you in again next year…

Kelley Revelman, Deputy Principal, Emmanuel College, Victoria

Proud to be working with the fellas at

  • Australian International School, Singapore
  • Asquith Boys High School, NSW
  • Barnier Public School, Quakers Hill, NSW
  • Barker College, Hornsby, NSW
  • Beelbangera Public School, Beelbangera, NSW
  • Canterbury College, QLD
  • Catholic Regional College, Caroline Springs, VIC
  • Emanuel School, Randwick, NSW
  • Emmanuel College, VIC
  • Emmaus College, Penrith, NSW
  • Freeman Catholic College, Bonnyrigg Heights, NSW
  • Gosford High School, Gosford, NSW
  • Griffith East Public School, Griffith, NSW
  • Griffith North Public School, Griffith, NSW
  • Haileybury Newlands, Keysborough, VIC
  • Killareny Heights Public School, NSW
  • Kingswood High School, NSW
  • Marian Catholic College, Kenthurst, NSW
  • Moriah College, Bondi Junction, NSW
  • Nexus International School, Singapore
  • Pennant Hills High School, NSW
  • Pittwater House, Manly, NSW
  • Prendiville Catholic College, Joondalup, WA
  • Reddam House, Woolahra, NSW
  • Richmond High School, Richmond, NSW
  • Scotch College, Torrens Park, SA
  • South Sydney High School, NSW
  • St Lukes Grammar School, Manly, NSW
  • St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Griffith, NSW
  • St Thomas School, SA
  • United World College of South East Asia, Singapore, East & Dover Campuses
  • Wade High School, Griffith, NSW
  • St Andrew’s College, Marayong, NSW
  • Mt Annan High School, Mt Annan, NSW
  • John Paul College, Daisy Hill, QLD
  • Wantirna College, Wantirna, VIC
  • Barrenjoey High School, Avalon, NSW
  • Gilroy Catholic College, Castle Hill, NSW
  • Holy Spirit College, Bellambi, NSW
  • Hunter Valley Grammar School, Ashtonfield, NSW
  • Mater Dei Catholic College, Wagga Wagga, NSW
  • Nambucca Heads High School, Nambucca Heads, NSW
  • Nepean High School, Emu Plains, NSW
  • Randwick Boys High School, NSW
  • Rouse Hill High School, NSW
  • St John Bosco College, Engadine, NSW
  • The Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst, NSW
  • The Hills Sports High School, Seven Hills, NSW
  • Tenterfield High School, NSW
  • Western Cape College, Weipa, QLD

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