Look at the Shaw family from Glasshouse Mountains and you see a microcosm of an innovative youth leadership program kicking off this weekend on the Sunshine Coast.

Grant Shaw, who prefers the name "Tank", is an active leader in the local Indigenous community. When he's not working as the Indigenous Community Advisor for 12 southern Sunshine Coast schools, he's selling his own Indigenous art, coaching football teams, or organising the NAIDOC celebrations at Glasshouse. He's passionate about mentoring and training young people.
Daughter Josie Shaw is generation next, working out her career path after she finishes Year 12 at Beerwah State High School this year. After a mission trip to Africa earlier this year, she's leaning toward making a difference through social work. Perhaps a degree at university beckons.

Father and daughter are attending the Future Indigenous Leaders Program, starting this weekend with a retreat at Apex Camp, Mudjimba. Tank will be a supervisor, and Josie will be one of 80-odd participants in the program.

The program is designed for Year 12 students who have shown leadership qualities, and are looking to take the next step to realising their potential, and unlocking their future. Participants will be taken through a series of workshops and addressed by entrepreneurs, career advisors and fellow indigenous leaders.

Each participant will also be given the opportunity to earn a qualification in Project Management, which will also contribute to their OP score. The program itself is designed to have minimum impact on the all-important high school studies.

Indigenous youth from Pine Rivers to Bundaberg will be gathering at the program's launch, and for Josie it will be both a sacrifice and an opportunity.

"The thing that hit me hard in Africa was the children in the schools and the orphanages," Josie said. "They had nothing, but they were so happy. After going there I knew I wanted to do social work."

"This program is a great opportunity. I definitely want to build my confidence and communication skills, because social work is all about communication.

"I see social workers as leaders. Not so much standing out from the crowd, but in helping people and being role models."

Tank has volunteered as one of several supervisors for the retreat. As a full-time youth worker, he knows the huge influence that such programs can make on young people, and has encouraged four other students to attend.

"I'm really looking forward to Josie building in confidence, and also having the opportunity to mix with people like her – those with goals and who want to better themselves and be the best they can be in their chosen field," said Tank.

The project is funded through the Queensland office of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), and sponsored by John Pearson Consulting (JPC) in cooperation with a number of partners including the Department of Education and Training's Indigenous Education Unit and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

A second intake of participants will begin the program in July and applicants are still open.

Future Leaders is just one of many projects currently undertaken by JPC as the Sunshine Coast-based organisation continues to play a leading role in seeing Australia's first people, wherever they live, to realise their full potential and have the same opportunities as other Australians.

Photo: Grant "Tank" Shaw and daughter Josie ... looking forward to the launch of the Future Indigenous Leaders Program on the Sunshine Coast.