About Us

Empowering Indigenous students to reach their potential

Overview

The Cape York Elders, the giants on whose shoulders the younger generation of leaders now stand, established a legacy decades ago. It's now up to the younger generation to forge ahead, and with guidance, carry on the legacy. 
 

Every year, CYLP empowers over 100 leaders, ushering change in our families and communities, creating a ripple effect with generational succession.

With over 540 student leaders supported since the inception of the program, CYLP continually propels Indigenous leadership forward, continuing the legacy of Cape York Elders through good governance and leadership. 

Mikaela

0

scholarship recipients in 2023

0%

Indigenous staff

0

Scholarships awarded since inception
swoosh-01-cylp-01

Our Story

Leaders – young and oldwere not prepared to stand by while their communities were ripped apart by spiralling dysfunction and passive welfare.

It all starts with leadership

The Cape York reforms over the past 20 years were inspired by Indigenous people across the Cape standing up for their community. Leaders – young and old – were not prepared to stand by while their communities were ripped apart by spiralling dysfunction and passive welfare.

They came together at a series of historic summits and agreed to take responsibility for the future of their communities. Without their leadership, none of the groundbreaking reforms would have happened.

cylp-history-0
cylp-history-1

Supporting Leaders

But there is still much to do. While the rise of natural leaders will always be important, as it was in the past, we need to nurture and train all types of leaders. We need to foster a new generation to build on these foundations and tackle the challenges that lie ahead. That is what Cape York Leaders Program is all about.

Noel Pearson Profile picture

“Natural Leadership is the power of self-determination and informal recognition of its inspiration and influence over fellow citizens. Natural Leaders can be found in families, community groups and in the full range of informal social, cultural, religious settings.

Unlike Structural Leaders, they depend on no formal institutional power or recognition. Natural Leadership is something that potentially all people can demonstrate. Rather than thinking about ‘community engagement’, we should instead be thinking about how we can promote, motivate and support Natural Leadership. Let’s develop Natural Leadership."

Noel Pearson

Founder – Cape York Partnership

Education Partners

The long-standing relationships with our Partner Schools are testament to both the quality of our program and the students themselves. You can find out more about these schools through our map.

Our Team

The Cape York Leaders Program Team is 100% Indigenous. Our dedicated CYLP team provide warp-around support to students as they walk in two worlds, orbiting between prestigious boarding schools and their home communities. 

Our Supporters

We have been fortunate over the years to partner with governments and an exceptional group of philanthropic supporters who share our vision for the next generation of Indigenous leaders. 

Stay Informed

"(Required)" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Scroll to Top