Speakers for
Regen in our Schools
Cate McQuillen
DirtGirl Creator
Cate McQuillen is not merely a creator; she's a phenomenon. From live streaming to the stage, from the classroom to the studio, her unique blend of creativity, passion, and advocacy is both a beacon and a mirror reflecting the best of what storytelling can be. Her works don't just entertain; they inspire, educate, and challenge, making her one of Australia's most distinctive and influential artistic voices. As she continues to weave her stories, her belief in play-form, exploration, curiosity, and joy shapes not only her dream but influences a generation. Always an educator, firstly a singer, but now she leads, loves, and lives her philosophy, making her mark as a true changemaker. Her bio is not just a list of accomplishments; it's a testament to the power of creativity to shape the world.
Lynne Strong
Action4Agriculture Founder
Lynne is an internationally recognised expert in designing and delivering business/industry action learning youth engagement programs that put young people at the centre of the learning experience. She believes leadership is the process of influence to effect change. Personal experience has shown her, we can’t do it alone and we can’t do it in silos. Lynne founded Action4Agriculture to help young people act on issues that are important to them. Designing action learning programs that identify what young people care about & introduce them to real world people to explore real-world challenges.
Kate Spry
Kate Spry is a Grazier based in Tamworth, NSW. Kate was raised on a sheep, beef and wheat property in Wellington NSW and has always had a deep passion for Agriculture. Kate has a Bachelor of Education degree with 21 years of teaching experience, and has taught in infants, primary and secondary school settings. Kate completed her post-graduate studies in marketing in 2009. In 2019, Kate Australianised, and adapted the ‘Kiss the Ground Soil Story – Road to Regenerative Agriculture curriculum’ across all Key Learning Areas, and stage settings.
Dr. Frances Quinn
Frances Quinn is a science teacher educator at the University of New England. Her background includes biological science research at CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, science teaching at secondary school, and Biology, Botany and Ecology teaching at university. She has since taught science and technology education for pre-service teachers for the past 15 years. In that role she coordinates the unit Primary Science and Technology Education for Sustainability, aimed at incorporating Education for Sustainability into the primary Science and Technology Key Learning Area. She and her husband currently live on a very small farm outside Armidale where they incorporate sustainable agriculture principles
Dr. Barbara Bannister
Beginning her journey as a university lecturer in 2017 after 25 years in schools, Barbara is an experienced teacher of science and agriculture, and a previous school leader. Six years away from schools as the owner of an irrigation retail operation in partnership with her husband, helped to cement her passion for education. Barbara’s research interests are rural and regional students, leaders and schools, in particular catering for the needs of gifted students in rural and regional settings. More recent research interests include how agriculture is taught in schools and the curriculum around food and fibre education. As an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Lecturer in science (7-12) and agriculture (7-12) Barbara enjoys being able to give back to the education community