Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Inaugural AIME National Hoodie Day

(Editor's note: The is a guest post from Jack Manning Bancroft who is speaking at Google's office in Sydney this morning to welcome the inaugural AIME National Hoodie Day).

It’s not every day you get to launch a national day…My name is Jack Manning Bancroft and I am the founder and CEO of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). In 2005 when I was at Uni, I started AIME to mentor Indigenous high school students through school and I can't believe how far it's come… We started with 25 kids in Redfern and are now working with 1000 kids across the East Coast of Australia… From the streets of Sydney we have risen with the goodwill and desire of everyday Australians who have stepped up to walk with AIME. And today, on July 21, we turn to the nation to launch AIME National Hoodie Day.

We are asking the Australian community to don a limited edition Red AIME Hoodie and say to the next generation who are stepping up - "We will walk with you." By doing this, you will be supporting all of our Indigenous kids to finish school at the same rate as their fellow Australians.

Several key Australians such as Ian Thorpe, Andrew Forrest, Tania Major and Libby Trickett are already 'walking with us' and showing their support for AIME National Hoodie Day, check it out:



Come and meet the people of AIME and GenerationOne who will be at the Sydney Opera House steps from 12:00pm-1:30pm to raise awareness of this initiative.

Outside Sydney, mining magnate Andrew Forrest is getting a photo taken with his wife Nicola in Perth and acclaimed director Warwick Thornton is getting a pic up in the Alice, and there are already heaps of pics online. Send us your hoodie photos to pics@nationalhoodieday.com.

Let us all celebrate a new day for the nation that connects all Australians to Indigenous Australia with an eye to the future.

Welcome to AIME National Hoodie Day.


Posted by Jack Manning Bancroft, AIME CEO