Sunshine Coast teacher Tracy Galaud awarded for mental health education

A beloved Sunshine Coast teacher and pioneer in mental health education has been recognised with a major award and is up for an even bigger title as details on her incredible work are revealed.

Sunshine Coast teacher Tracy Galaud awarded for mental health education. Picture - contributed.

A beloved Sunshine Coast teacher is up for a state award for her incredible dedication to educating the next generation of mental health support workers and paving the way for Queenslanders with a lived experience of mental illness.

Sunshine Coast teacher Tracy Galaud has been recognised for her work with the beloved educator taking out the title of VET Teacher or Trainer of the Year in the Queensland Training Awards North Coast regional final on Friday July 26.

The TAFE Queensland teacher will now face off against the best of the best in Queensland, progressing to the state final in September.

Ms Galaud said she was grateful to have received the accolade and was stoked just to be nominated.

“In my mind, I’m just doing my job, so to be recognised for that and know that I’ve gotten this far – given how many applications there were – is an honour,” Ms Galaud said.

“I’m just grateful to have the experience.”

As a mental health teacher at TAFE Queensland’s Mooloolaba campus, Ms Galaud caught the attention of judges for not only her work on the forefront of training in the mental health space, but also in pioneering the delivery of hybrid training in Queensland.

The first in the state to deliver the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work back in 2015, Ms Galaud paved the way for Queenslanders with a lived experience of mental illness to transform that experience into skills they could use it to support others who were struggling.

After expanding that course’s delivery to multiple other regions, Tracy then took on a new challenge in creating a hybrid training model that sees her deliver the Certificate IV in Mental Health simultaneously to both students on site at TAFE Queensland’s Mooloolaba campus and virtually with students who connect to the live class virtually from across the state. The model has been a great success, achieving around 150 enrolments each intake, receiving glowing feedback, and inspiring other cohorts to adopt similar deliver options.

Ms Galaud said she was inspired to create the hybrid model to help address growing demand in the industry across the state after adapting her teaching style during the pandemic.

Sunshine Coast teacher Tracy Galaud awarded for mental health education. Picture – contributed.

“For me it was about providing access and equity, and increasing our footprint – to give people, no matter where they live, the opportunity to actually feel like they are part of the class,” Ms Galaud said.

“After Covid, online delivery was far more common, but I felt that people wanted more connection. So, I wanted to ensure that even though the vast majority of my students are online, they still feel like they’re in the room and able to interact with me and their classmates, just as their face-to-face counterparts do.

“As a teacher, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the impact this course has had. I’ve seen students who started out not liking online learning not only complete the course but come back to do their diploma because it changed their perception of it.

“I’ve seen students from far and wide make connections and travel to meet in person after completing the course so they can celebrate their achievement together. And I’ve seen students come into my course thinking they won’t be able to do it go on to surprise themselves and achieve their goals.

“That’s what I’m most proud of – receiving this award would just be the icing on the cake.”

TAFE Queensland General Manager for East Coast region, Mark Reilly said the organisation was immensely proud of Ms Galaud’s achievement and wished her all the best at the state final.

“All our teachers play an important role in building careers for Queenslanders and developing skilled work forces right across the state,” Mr Reilly said.

“The level of commitment and passion Tracy has for ensuring not only do her students receive the best learning experience and outcomes possible, but for advancing the mental health sector, is nothing short of awe-inspiring and her contribution to industry and vocational education will be felt for years to come.

“We congratulate Tracy for her efforts in receiving with extremely well-deserved award.”