At The Kids Research Institute Australia, we’ve always known what a fantastic community we have around us.
From study participants, to fundraisers and volunteers, and those who help shape and share our research, the The Kids community plays an incredibly important role in what we do, how we do it, and what we achieve.
That’s why we were thrilled to officially launch The Kids CONNECT, our new program that honours the many ways our community supports us to make our research great and achieve our vision of happy healthy kids. To find out about the benefits of being a CONNECT member please see an invitation from our Director, Jonathan Carapetis.
Community members and staff came together to celebrate CONNECT which was launched by our Director Jonathan Carapetis AM and consumer advocate Catherine, who signed-up as the first CONNECT member. Catherine also gave a heart-warming speech in which she shared her incredible journey in research advocacy, Glenn Pearson, Deputy Director Aboriginal Health, kicked off the evening with a fantastic Acknowledgment of Country and there was a special message from our Patron Fiona Stanley AC.
The launch of CONNECT is the culmination of much planning and consultation with both community members and staff to ensure we acknowledge, reward and thank those who contribute to our research, and help them connect and engage with us and other community members.
Our thanks to everyone who has been involved in putting together CONNECT, a program we believe is an innovative and unique way of working with our community. As one of our first CONNECT members said of the launch:
It was like a big warm hug and a welcome into a much larger family.
If you are engaging with the Institute you are invited to join CONNECT. You might be part of a research committee or advisory group; taking part in research projects, studies or trials; supporting community fundraising or donating; advocating for research to be translated and sharing information about our research and its results. All of you are making an important contribution and are welcome to be part of CONNECT.