Testimonials
“I loved everything, it was fantastic! I learnt that friends are great and words are powerful. It was GREAT, it helped me a lot!!!”
“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.”
“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!”
“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!”
“I loved seeing how empowered we all become together today! I’m going through a lot at home at the moment and the reminder of self-love and that I am worthy really helped me and changed the way that I see others. I really wanted another hug! I loved today so much, thank you for doing this and for all of your support!”
“Stop Revive Survive’ was my favourite because it was very calming. I learnt ways to calm down, be positive, relax, make friends and be yourself.”
“This program was very worthwhile. My favourite part was doing ‘Stop, Revive, Survive’ and making a proper diary for myself. I learnt to think positively and accept other people’s feelings.”
“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. Thanks.”
“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.”
“I thought it would be a boring lecture where the whole time all you are thinking about is ‘When will this finally end?’ BUT Danni really connected with everyone, and out of all the things people in my life have ever said to me, and out of all the lectures I’ve been given, I really listened to you and to everything you said and I TOOK EVERYTHING IN.”
“It was an awesome day, I absolutely loved it! Words can’t explain!!!!! The best parts were ‘Travel Diary’ because it was heaps of fun and ‘Girl World’ because it was something for now and later life, and Fran’s stories.”
“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.”
“My favourite part of today was when we got up and did stuff because it’s so fun to create things and make it funny. Today I learnt that myths are not helpful and that both genders can be similar.”
“This was the best day ever; I now feel strong and empowered to be a woman! I learnt that I should be proud of who I am, how I can help other women, what I should look for in a relationship, and how strong women are.”
“I wish all adults would understand (like you do) that boys also feel pressure. Girls might seem all weak, (which is sexist) but even boys have emotions. We aren’t all those buff power houses like everyone thinks.”
“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.”
“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…”
“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!”
“I thought it was going to be worthless, but it was excellent. I didn’t have a favourite bit because I think all of it was awesome. I learnt about many different myths that affect boys today.”
“I learnt that Jack is a really good teacher who makes you feel like you can be true to yourself and a better person. I hope that he can teach my little bro the same valuable lessons that he taught me today.”
“I have been involved in the AFL for over 25 years and had the privilege to learn from and be educated by many keynote speakers. Only a small handful leave a lasting imprint, and Jack Ellis is one of those. He leads and engages with authenticity, humility and courage. He brings a realness to the conversation and lives day by day with gratitude. If you are looking for someone to educate on stereotypes of masculinity, relationships, consent and being an ally, Jack is the perfect person for this.”
“I want to thank you so much for being such an inspirational, engaging and knowledgeable speaker. It is safe to say that this is the best workshop I have been to throughout my entire life and I am grateful that you allowed me to experience this! I want to congratulate you on the good work and keep fighting!”
“My favourite parts were the interactive ones. I learnt that we aren’t all heartless Neanderthals, violence against women goes unnoticed and not all guys just want sex. I would like adults to know that we aren’t as dumb as we are depicted.”
“I loved all of it because it was fun and made it less scary. I learnt to tell yourself “you can”, follow your path and enjoy the rollercoaster. It was very inspiring.”
“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.”
“It was the best thing that the school has ever done for me. I have been battling with an illness for over 3 years. I have been in and out of hospital and not at school very much. Luckily I made it to school the day Enlighten came. Danielle’s story touched me and I really felt I could understand where she came from. I have been through hell and back and been picked on, neglected and left out because of my sickness. I hate it but the day really helped me and gave me more confidence. I would just like to say thank you for everyone’s hard work and tell you how much it is appreciated.”
“It was truly valuable and so great to hear. Love yourself (not a bad thing), believe you are beautiful and then you are, be organised, be aware of everything around you.”
“Today I ate dinner, and kept it down… Thank-you. You changed my attitude, the way I look at myself, the way I eat, the way I handle bullying and most importantly, you changed my life! Your workshop was amazing and so are you!”
“Thank you so much for coming to our school today! Your stories were an inspiration to the whole group. Your realistic information was to the point, precise and easy to remember, humorous, too, which made it fun and will remind us what to do in a sticky situation . . . Your effort that you put into making all girls around the world feel good about themselves is astounding, you make us take a step back . . . and appreciate who we really are, and be happy for that. Thanks for teaching us, helping us, laughing with us, sharing the good times and the bad, and preparing us for the future. Your knowledge will be irreplaceable.”
“I loved all of it! It inspired me in so many ways and taught me a lot be proud of who you are, don’t change your image because your friends do, be what you want to be I had fun seriously!”
“I can’t thank you enough for coming to our school today and talking to us. The day was a million times better than I thought it would be and I enjoyed it so so much. You are both inspirational and two of the funniest people I have ever met. I love that you both care so much for us and our well being, we won’t forget it. We will take your knowledge, experiences and tips with us way beyond high school and to when we are mums! You are both so gorgeous and wonderful and funny and I absolutely loved your talks, guidance and advice from today. I could tell you had put a lot of thought and effort into our day and we all really appreciated it. Words can’t describe how much fun we all had together. Thank you thank you thank you :).”
“I loved all of it! It inspired me in so many ways and taught me a lot be proud of who you are, don’t change your image because your friends do, be what you want to be I had fun seriously!”
“This was an excellent day with the girls talking about it all the next day, teachers saying how good it was, as well as parents phoning to commend the school on having such an afternoon. Well done!”
“Dannielle Miller is the best girls’ educator and advocate in the country. Her advice is always wise, well-researched, and empowering. Frankly, her in-school programs and workshops are life-changing. I cannot recommend her work more highly.”
“Dannielle Miller is one of Australia’s leading girl champions. She is a wise, passionate voice for girls and her business Enlighten Education continues to grow every year bringing quality information and hope that helps girls become the best expression of themselves.”
“The programs you have presented (for our boys and girls) have been instrumental in promoting mental health awareness, emotional resilience, and overall well-being among our students. This feedback from teachers as well as both students and parents illustrates the effectiveness of your programs and the crucial role they play in making a lasting difference in the lives of our young learners. Once again, thank you for your invaluable contributions to our school community.”
“A truly amazing presentation! So inspiring and so pertinent to our students. Best presentation I’ve been a part of in 20 years of teaching! Love your work Gorgeous. Thank you.”
“I have had Danni and Enlighten Education work with schools I’ve been involved in for over a decade now. What I’m impressed with is how current the program always is. The team respect the way in which we speak about and view, gender and sexuality thoughtfully and engage with current studies and stats and approach each session with an intersectional understanding. They continue to be current, trauma informed, forward thinking, and inspiring. I highly recommend these workshops, because even in the most difficult school settings, I find the team are able to find an in with the students and take them on a journey of learning that stays with these young people long after the event.”
“I have never seen students connect with a presenter the way in which they bonded with Danni. Within minutes they were captivated and she continued to hold that space for the duration of the three-hour workshop. Danni was able to balance the confronting educational aspects of the session with points of lightness and fun that kept the energy levels high. The student testimonials were mind-blowingly positive, and students approached me to personally thank me for bringing Danni to our School. Staff members raved to me about the presentation, declaring this to be the best guest presentation they had ever seen. Overnight, parents shared their glowing feedback and told us their child didn’t stop talking about the workshop…”
“What a great day the girls had! They had negative thoughts before it even began but as soon as they walked in the door their mood quickly changed into a positive one and it never wavered from that point. An extremely positive, vibrant, motivating and uplifting day.”
“We all thoroughly enjoyed your workshop. Many girls left saying it was the best thing they had ever done.”
“Our teenagers need to know how to be self-reliant and resilient. The Enlighten programs are fostering these skills and having a profoundly positive effect on young women. They are meeting a real need in schools by creating unique, transformative experiences for students. The programs are based on transformational psychology and highlight the value of uniqueness, relatedness and transcendence. Students are introduced to a variety of self-regulation procedures such as visualisation and short relaxation techniques, factors enhancing mental and emotional characteristics are described, and strategies for enhancing personal wellbeing are employed. Programs, like this one, that focus not only on transformation of the individual but also provide an affirming collective experience, have the capacity to really change culture. There is good evidence that we need to be warmer, more nurturing but firmer with our teenagers. I like the fact that Enlighten manages to connect in such creative ways with young women and make them feel safe, valued and loved.”