School counsellor Leanne Brooke from Kincumber High School has been awarded the Premier’s Anika Foundation Youth Depression Awareness Scholarship as part of the 2025 Premier’s Teacher Scholarships.
Now in its 25th year, the scholarship program was open to all NSW teachers from government and non-government schools and preschools, and to teachers at TAFE NSW Institutes.
Brooke will use the $15,000 grant to undertake a study tour to investigate best practices that support a return to school for students with emotion-based school refusal.
The Anika Foundation scholarship was open to teachers, head teachers, student welfare, school counsellors, and health, physical education and personal development teachers currently teaching students at risk of youth depression within NSW schools and TAFE NSW campuses.
Brooke, who is a teacher and a psychologist and who also works at various primary schools across the Coast including Central Mangrove and Somersby public schools, said she was surprised to have received the scholarship.
“I did put a lot of work into the application, but I was still surprised to have received it,” she said.
“I will be investigating programs and practices as part of a study tour to see what schools are doing in the area of emotion-based school refusal.”
Emotion-based school refusal results in children unable to go to school due to anxiety or depression.
“It’s not about kids not going to school because they just don’t like school,” she said.
“They just can’t get there.
“I want to see what schools are doing to get these kids back to school and back to getting an education.”
The tour will include a trip to New Orleans in October this year to look at what major researchers are doing in the area as well as a tour of schools in Melbourne, Adelaide and other parts of NSW next year.
“I have been involved in this area for eight years now and I am very passionate about it,” Brooke said.
“I have seen how difficult this problem is for families, it’s very challenging.
“If I can just add a little bit to what our Central Coast schools are already doing, I will be happy.”
At the completion of her study tour, Brooke will deliver a final report on her observations with the aim of raising awareness and an understanding of what schools can be doing to prevent the onset and escalation of depression in their students.
Brooke was one of 11 of the state’s top public school teachers and education staff to have been honoured for their outstanding commitment to education at a reception at The State Library of NSW on August 1.