This week's blogger is Dannielle Miller

Dannielle Miller is a major innovator and expert in the field of education and student welfare. She was responsible for the curriculum, staffing and quality of learning of the English faculty of a dual campus high school. As Students at Risk Coordinator for high schools in Western Sydney, she advised the Federal Government on funding for support programs for students at risk of dropping out.

The immensely successful Lighthouse Project was Dannielle’s brainchild. It pairs at-risk students with workplace mentors, helping them develop employment skills and discover the real-world relevance of what they learn at school. Another of her innovations was an accredited Higher School Certificate (HSC) course in service learning that she developed. The curriculum nurtures students’ entrepreneurial skills while involving them in meaningful community volunteer work.

Concerned about the struggles she saw countless high school girls go through with body image and self-esteem, in 2003 Dannielle co-founded Enlighten Education, which provides girls with training and support to stand up to limiting media and social messages.

In 2009, the Australian newspaper named Dannielle Australia’s number one Emerging Leader in Learning. She works with thousands of girls across Australia and New Zealand each year and makes regular media appearances to advise on teen issues. Author of teen parenting book, The Butterfly Effect (Random House Australia, September 2009), she is also an avid blogger (http://enlighteneducation.edublogs.org). She is 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.