2023 Leadership Program

In 2023, we delivered the first-ever RAC Ignite Leadership Program. This innovative new program is one of many ways we’ve been engaging with young people to drive meaningful change together for a better WA.

About the program

Co-developed with our partner Millennium Kids, the immersive month-long program featured a series of masterclasses and workshops, a two-night camp at Fair Harvest in Margaret River, and a celebration event at RAC Arena.

Program participants, aged between 18 and 24, were tasked with creating a big-picture project idea that aligned to our vision for a better WA. All participants received a $500 voucher for RAC’s Parks and Resorts, and the winning pitch received a $6,000 cash prize plus ongoing support from RAC and Millennium Kids to implement their project. Read about Chandini Thirumalai’s winning pitch.

Masterclasses and networking

Embracing Millennium Kids’ ‘skills for life’ process, the program began with a series of explorative and collaborative masterclasses at RAC’s head office in Koorlup (West Perth). Participants investigated solutions to real-world problems such as reducing road trauma, creating better-connected cities, and reducing vehicle emissions.

Local experts on risk management, leadership, and design thinking also led interactive workshops with program participants, enabling them to build out their skills and knowledge, and providing them with exclusive mentorship.

In the first week of the program, participants were also given the opportunity to network with industry experts at a launch event at RAC. Each participant was joined by a mentor or industry peer of their choice, and the evening was spent mingling and sharing excitement about the beginning of the program.

Leadership camp

With two weeks of action learning under their belts, participants travelled to Margaret River for a two-day leadership camp at Fair Harvest. From there, project ideas started taking shape, with participants being empowered to imagine how they could transform their concepts into real-life solutions.

Putting their leadership skills to work, participants hosted a deliberative democracy day with young people from the Margaret River region, helping to identify issues affecting the local area and working together to find solutions. They also met with a range of local change makers to learn how Margaret River is becoming one of Australia’s premier eco destinations.

Staying true to the spirit of camping, participants also enjoyed nights around the campfire, shared meals together, and plenty of card games.

Panel pitches

Upon their return from Margaret River, participants were ready to embark on the last stages of the program. After refining their individual project ideas, participants received pitch training from RAC’s Hayley Scott. Then, they presented their final three-minute pitches to a selection panel.

Three finalists were selected: Shannon Griffin, Jay Wood, and Chandini Thirumalai. Read about their pitches

Finalists were given an additional week to further refine and practice their pitches, receive mentor feedback, and prepare for the celebration event at RAC Arena.

Celebration event

The RAC Ignite Leadership Program culminated in a celebration event at RAC Arena in mid-December, where all program participants, mentors, and supporters gathered for the final pitch presentation.

Chandini Thirumalai was selected as the winner of the inaugural program. Chandini, a 22-year-old account manager at Dell Technologies, proposed the addition of a road safety feature to the RAC Go App.

Inspired by her own experiences as an international driver navigating WA’s road rules, Chandini’s app extension would provide education and support to international tourists driving on WA roads for the first time.

What’s next?

The next RAC Ignite Leadership Program is due to commence in November 2024. We are accepting expressions of interest for the next application period commencing in July 2024; aspiring change makers aged between 18 and 24 can register their interest at the link below.

Register your interest