Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program

Grow leadership skills with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders in a culturally safe space, make waves in your community and sharpen your leadership skills. The Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program is an immersive and culturally safe experience that helps shape you into a better communicator and leader.

Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program
Grow leadership skills with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders in a culturally safe space, make waves in your community and sharpen your leadership skills.

The Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program is an immersive and culturally safe experience that helps shape you into a better communicator and leader.
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Eligibility

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples aged 21 years and older in the early stages of leadership

Commitment

6-day session plus travel to location

Investment

Program fee: $15,290 (covered by scholarship)
Participant contribution: $220

Delivery mode & venue

Delivered face-to-face in a residential program setting in Cairns

Dates

12-17 November 2025

Make change happen in your community with Milparanga

A community that embraces adaptability and openness to change is well-positioned for a brighter future. Discover how to effectively prepare for and navigate change, and leverage your influence to support others through the transformative Milparanga Emerging Leadership program.

This transformative program equips you with the skills to apply cultural awareness, gender perspectives, political insights, and environmental understanding to your decision-making. Moreover, you’ll build a robust peer network dedicated to collaborative leadership and collective impact.

Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program is designed to give a deeper understanding of Country, awareness of self and others, truth-telling, culture and inclusion. You’ll build the confidence to be an advocate for social and positive change in your community or industry.

What you’ll take away from the Milparanga Emerging Leadership Program

Wonder more about yourself and the world

Be curious and question the world around you because good leadership is about asking the hard questions and creating awareness of yourself and the world you lead in. Wonder leads to better leadership.

Challenge old ideas and your community

Great leadership is made in the ability to identify obstacles and barriers that exist in your community and challenge them. You’ll learn to challenge yourself and your community, too.

Drive innovation in your community

What challenges exist in your community? What issues exist that are caused by doing things how they’ve always been done? Why not change them? We’ll empower you to drive change through innovation.

Nourish your connections and networks

Your connections and your wider network – whether in your community, your professional sector, or elsewhere – are important. You’ll learn to nourish these relationships to empower your leadership style.

Be persistent in your vision and for your community

Persistence is key, and it’s a direct byproduct of resilience. Be persistent, whether in your vision or just generally in your community. You’ll learn to lead with influence through persistence.

Would you like to improve your leadership?

Activities you’ll engage in on program

Hear stories from Indigenous leaders & engage in truth telling

Meet and workshop with Milparanga alumni

Visit culturally significant sites to learn about Indigenous history and legacies

Activities that will help you develop self-awareness and how to communicate with others

Challenging outdoor recreational components

Behavioural/personality profiling activities (awareness of self and others)

Communications and advocacy skills training

Robust conversations that will honour existing skills and knowledge, as well as provoke thoughts and assumptions

Empowering Indigenous leaders: The ripple effect on communities 

For Queenslander Courtney Palmer, the Milparanga Established Leadership Program gave her an opportunity to focus on what it is to be an Indigenous leader in a corporate workplace.   A…

Testimonials

Frequently asked questions

Have a question that we haven’t answered below? Get in touch with our friendly team. We’re happy to help.

Yes, Milparanga is facilitated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and facilitators and the content is designed with a cultural lens.

In part, you will be required to pay a participant contribution fee of $220 AND, in partnership with the National Indigenous Australians Agency the ARLF is able to cover all other costs. If you need to use your own money for a cab from the airport to a hotel you will be reimbursed, this is clearly outlined in your contract.

The ARLF does offer a number of privately funded scholarships. If this interests you, please contact partnerships@rural-leaders.org.au

Yes, you will receive an itemised packing list a few weeks out from coming on program, and we can assist with items you may not be able to get in your community.

We have first aid officers on the program to assist as your safety is paramount.

We provide an immersive program experience therefore mobile phones may be removed for periods to enhance your engagement and experience. Mobile phone reception may not be available during some periods on the program. Your family will be provided with contact information in the case of an emergency and program facilitators will be notified.

We kindly ask that you do not share any information about program locations and activities on any social media platforms.

We ask that you make prior arrangements with your workplace and inform them that you will not be able to work during the period of the program.

An experiential learning program

At the ARLF, we’re big on experiential learning – learning programs that immerse you and help you learn and grow through learned lessons. You’ll hear stories from Indigenous leaders, visit culturally significant sites to learn about Indigenous history and legacies, and meet and hear stories from Milparanga alumni. 

Milparanga Emerging Leadership incorporates outdoor activities. You can expect to be pushed outside of your comfort zone with activities that help you get to know yourself better and make you a better communicator. We’ll take you by surprise most days. Not knowing exactly what you will be doing each day is all part of the experience.

Want to recommend someone other than yourself? Use our Shoulder Tap.

An experiential learning program

At the ARLF, we’re big on experiential learning – learning programs that immerse you and help you learn and grow through learned lessons. You’ll hear stories from Indigenous leaders, visit culturally significant sites to learn about Indigenous history and legacies, and meet and hear stories from Milparanga alumni. 

Milparanga Emerging Leadership incorporates outdoor activities. You can expect to be pushed outside of your comfort zone with activities that help you get to know yourself better and make you a better communicator. We’ll take you by surprise most days. Not knowing exactly what you will be doing each day is all part of the experience.​

Want to recommend someone other than yourself? Use our Shoulder Tap.

Delivered in partnership with

Become a partner

If you are interested in becoming a partner, please view our Partnerships page.

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