Dale Sidebottom is a full-time play consultant, and the founder of Energetic Education and JUGAR LIFE. He uses his 20+ years of experience in the education and fitness sectors to educate schools, clubs, families, and corporations on the relationship between daily play and enhanced mental health and wellbeing. Dale is the author of ‘All Work No Play, the host of the top rating ‘Energetic Radio’ podcast, and a popular TEDx speaker.
Peter Aldenhoven is a descendant of the peoples of Quandamooka – more particularly, the Nughi clan from Moorgumpin (Moreton Island, Queensland). He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association, an Aboriginal gathering place on the Mornington Peninsula. Previously, Peter was the Executive Officer of Victoria’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-led philanthropic fund called ‘Koondee Wonga-gat Toor-rong’. He has spoken at national and international philanthropic conferences on investing effectively in First Nations’ communities. He has also been an Indigenous educator and ran exchange programs for a decade to four remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
Emina McLean is an Australian language and literacy expert with over fifteen years of experience across primary, secondary, and tertiary education. She holds qualifications in speech pathology, adolescent counselling, youth mental health(psychiatry), public health, and education, and she is currently completing her PhD (Education).Emina is a lecturer, researcher, English and literacy leader, instructional coach, professional learning provider and education consultant. She works closely with the Tasmanian and Victorian state education systems, key sector stakeholders such as the Australian Education Research Organisation and the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, schools, leaders, and teachers to develop ambitious and rigorous assessment, curriculum and instruction practices in English and literacy. In 2022Emina was named one of 52 Australian newsmakers by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for her contributions to Education and she won the Learning Difficulties Australia Mona Tobias Award for her research and practice contributions in the literacy domain. Emina is currently leading several small-and large-scale implementation projects across Australia, focused on building sustainable systems for quality literacy education delivery within schools. .
Dr. Joanne Blannin is an academic, educator, and leader in the field of digital learning, with a rich background in teaching and school leadership spanning four countries over more than 20 years. Holding a Ph.D. in Education, she focuses her research on the intersection of technology and classroom teaching, aiming to enhance educational experiences. Dr. Blannin's international experience informs her approach to integrating digital tools in diverse educational settings. She has authored academic papers, books and book chapters, sharing her insights into effective digital learning practices. Known for her dynamic teaching methods, Dr. Blannin has taught at several universities and is committed to supporting educators globally. Her significant contributions to digital education are grounded in her practical experience and academic research, making her a highly respected figure in both academic and educational circles..
Vic Zbar has extensive consultancy and project management experience and is recognised internationally for his writing on education and a range of education reports. Prior to the establishment of Zbar Consulting, Vic was the Assistant Director of Human Resources in the Victorian Department of Education, having earlier been principal adviser to the Chief Executive, giving him an in-depth knowledge of the work of most aspects of the then Office of Schools. He is a widely-published author in both education and management and is the author of the best-selling Managing the future, and its sequel, Key management concepts.More recently Vic co-edited four volumes of Leading the education debate, published by the Centre for Strategic Education (CSE), and co-authored Better schools, better teachers, better results, published by ACER. Most recently, together with Pamela Macklin he co-authored two editions of the best selling ‘Driving School Improvement: Practical Strategies and Tools’.
