Hayley McQuire

2023 Cohort

Hayley is creating spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to have critical discussions about their future and the types of systems we need to self-determine our own futures.

Hayley is a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman born and raised in Rockhampton Central Queensland. She is the co-founder and CEO of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, a growing collective that backs and supports young people to reclaim and regenerate our learning systems. She is also the Co-Chair of Learning Creates Australia and holds a number of board positions for non-profit organisations. She believes relationships are essential to any change movement and finds joy in bringing together diverse and different collectives to rethink education.

“I believe in a future learning system that creates a fair, just world that centres and respects Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.”

Social change work

Hayley’s social change work includes:

• Supporting young people through NIYEC to reimagine the future of Indigenous education.

• Co-designing Indigenous Nation-Led education charters to value and recognise Indigenous learner wellbeing and Indigenous sovereignty.

• Bringing together diverse networks in Australia's learning ecosystem to shift our learning recognition system.