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For Brisbane Airport, supporting the next generation of leaders means investing in the communities that shape them. Through its Community Giving Fund and ongoing partnerships, the airport is helping organisations like EPIC Pathways, Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation and Yalari create opportunities that empower young First Nations people to grow, learn and thrive.
As Brisbane Airport’s Head of Procurement and Chair of its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Committee, Bobby Fitzsimmons says, the partnerships reflect the organisation’s broader responsibility to help close the gap.
“As a society, we all have a role to play in bridging the gap and that gap is significant when it comes to Indigenous communities and Indigenous children having access to meaningful education and employment pathways,” he said.
“At Brisbane Airport, we see these partnerships as a small way we can make a big impact in creating those opportunities. The only way our country’s oldest living culture continues is through the voices of young people, and education gives them that platform.”
Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation
At Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation, founder Sheryl Batchelor believes healing begins in the brain.
After decades working in education, Sheryl grew frustrated seeing the same students suspended and excluded without the right support. She founded Yiliyapinya, a word meaning ‘brain’, to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people heal and strengthen their brain health across all stages of life.
Their programs work with children in and out of school, including those in youth justice or child safety systems, helping them rebuild trust and regulation through evidence-based therapies like Lego therapy, animal-assisted learning, art and rugby league.
This year, Brisbane Airport’s Community Giving Fund supported Yiliyapinya’s Made by Mob program, a hands-on initiative where young people learn bricklaying, carpentry and construction skills, then paint and sell the picnic tables they build.
“It’s amazing to see how proud they are of what they’ve created,” Sheryl said. “They want to go back and show their friends and family, look what I made. That sense of ownership and belonging is powerful.”
One of those young people is Lewis, a 13-year-old Aboriginal boy whose life has been affected by trauma and instability. When he first came to Yiliyapinya, he found it difficult to trust adults or express his emotions. Through the program, Lewis worked with animals, built tables, played rugby and learned to understand his feelings and rebuild confidence. With Yiliyapinya’s support, he has now returned to school and continues to visit the program when he needs extra encouragement.
“Every young person carries strength, story and possibility,” Sheryl said. “When they struggle, they’re not broken, they’re carrying pain that belongs to all of us. Healing happens when community steps in with understanding, not judgement.”
EPIC Pathways
Across Brisbane and now nationally, another group is helping First Nations students connect culture, community and education through mentoring and leadership development.
EPIC Pathways, a First Nations-led organisation founded by Rhian Miller, walks alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students as they grow strong in school, culture and life.
Partnering with the University of Queensland and local schools, the EPIC team delivers workshops, mentoring and on-campus experiences that build confidence, resilience and a sense of pride.
“Our programs are designed to strengthen identity, belonging and aspirations,” said Rhian. “Every workshop is about helping students leave feeling grounded in who they are and excited by what’s possible.”
For Rhian, one of the most inspiring examples of this impact is Sam who first joined the EPIC program as a student while completing Year 12 and went on to become his school’s first-ever First Nations captain. Now studying sound and audio engineering at university, he has returned to EPIC as a mentor, visiting his past high school each week to support other students as they find their confidence.
“When students like Sam are given the opportunity to step up, they grab it,” Rhian said. “They show younger students what’s possible and remind us that they’re not the leaders of tomorrow, they’re the leaders of today.”
Brisbane Airport’s Community Giving Fund made it possible for more than a hundred students to attend EPIC’s flagship three-day program, covering essentials like transport, meals, workshop materials and Elder participation.
“Partnerships like this mean the difference between being able to deliver a program or not,” said Rhian. “These students get to turn up, have fun, be themselves and leave with new friends and memories. It sends a message that we believe in them and that they’re worth investing in.”
EPIC’s programs are already expanding nationally, with new partnerships across the Northern Territory and New South Wales, including the launch of their Fire Carriers leadership initiative at the 2025 Garma Festival, empowering students to use their voices for change.
“Brisbane and South East Queensland are home to so many incredible young First Nations people who are proud of their culture, curious about the world and excited to make a positive contribution,” Rhian said. “When local organisations, schools and communities come together to back them, we don’t just change individual lives, we change the fabric of the region.
“Supporting programs like EPIC means investing in a future we can all share, one led by confident, capable, culturally grounded young leaders who are equipped to make a positive impact. It’s a future we can all be proud to walk towards together.”
Yalari
Education is also at the heart of Brisbane Airport’s long-standing partnership with Yalari, a not-for-profit organisation that provides secondary school scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from regional and remote communities.
Earlier this year, Bobby joined a Yalari outback camp, spending a week connecting with alumni, students. It was an experience that left a lasting impression.
“It was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever done,” Bobby said. “Seeing how Yalari’s support helps students complete their schooling, gain confidence and build pathways into higher education was incredibly humbling. These programs genuinely change lives.”
Brisbane Airport’s upcoming RAP will continue to focus on education, employment and participation, with a strong commitment to providing opportunities for First Nations communities and businesses across the airport precinct.
“We’re incredibly proud to be the gateway to Queensland,” Bobby said. “With more than 800 businesses and around 22,000 people working across the precinct, from engineers and mechanics to baristas, baggage handlers and pilots – there’s a job here for everyone.”
“We see a real opportunity to extend those pathways to young First Nations people. Our partnerships show what’s possible when we listen, learn and back the next generation of leaders.”