ABOUT US:
Catherine Manning - SEED Workshops' Founder, CEO & Program Presenter
Catherine Manning is the CEO & Program Director of SEED Workshops. A mother of four (two girls and two boys), Catherine is also a writer and activist, having campaigned for a number of years on various human rights and environmental issues. Her career began in the Advertising then News Graphics Department at Channel Seven Melbourne, where she gained invaluable insight into the television media industry. After leaving to raise her family and manage her own business, Catherine also worked as Events Coordinator for the Australian Contemporary Opera Company (ACOCo), facilitating in-school accessible opera performances and community events, and as a presenter/speaker working predominantly in schools with teens.
Catherine has consulted on several of ClickView Australia's award-winning Respectful Relationships projects, providing invaluable resources for teachers and students, and written various study guides and articles for Metro Magazine - ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media). She has also appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including The Project, Sunrise, A Current Affair, Today Tonight, Radio National & ABC774, discussing a range of topics including the sexualisation of children, beauty pageants and pornography, and has been published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Hoopla, Mamamia, Grazia, and Girlfriend Magazine.
Catherine has consulted on several of ClickView Australia's award-winning Respectful Relationships projects, providing invaluable resources for teachers and students, and written various study guides and articles for Metro Magazine - ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media). She has also appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including The Project, Sunrise, A Current Affair, Today Tonight, Radio National & ABC774, discussing a range of topics including the sexualisation of children, beauty pageants and pornography, and has been published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Hoopla, Mamamia, Grazia, and Girlfriend Magazine.
Ben McKenzie - SEED Workshops Program Facilitator
Ben has been writing and performing in Melbourne for more than fifteen years. He created and hosts the Dungeons & Dragons inspired improvised comedy show Dungeon Crawl, has led comedy tours after dark in Melbourne Museum, co-hosted the hit Doctor Who podcast Splendid Chaps, and designs and runs games with Pop Up Playground. His work has appeared in the Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, most recently his new one-man show Ben McKenzie is Uncool, and he also works as a voice-over artist, presenter and actor. His favourite dinosaur is Stegosaurus.
“I’m so excited to be working with SEED Workshops, talking to young people about the kinds of things I struggled with in school: depression, self-esteem and how to fit into the world. I wish I’d learned the stuff we talk about through SEED Workshops when I was fifteen! Working on the program with Catherine and Karen is as close as I can get to going back in time and giving helpful advice to my younger self.”
“I’m so excited to be working with SEED Workshops, talking to young people about the kinds of things I struggled with in school: depression, self-esteem and how to fit into the world. I wish I’d learned the stuff we talk about through SEED Workshops when I was fifteen! Working on the program with Catherine and Karen is as close as I can get to going back in time and giving helpful advice to my younger self.”
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All of SEED Workshops' programs have been designed and developed in consultation with various professionals specialising in our workshop topics and drawing on the most recent research. Our highly qualified and experienced presenters deliver our workshops in a fun, engaging way, using a variety of teaching techniques ensuring that all participants are inspired and moved. Our program is non-denominational, and we work with many non-secular and secular schools. Please contact us should you have any concerns about our program or content.
We look forward to working with your school!
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All of SEED Workshops' programs have been designed and developed in consultation with various professionals specialising in our workshop topics and drawing on the most recent research. Our highly qualified and experienced presenters deliver our workshops in a fun, engaging way, using a variety of teaching techniques ensuring that all participants are inspired and moved. Our program is non-denominational, and we work with many non-secular and secular schools. Please contact us should you have any concerns about our program or content.
We look forward to working with your school!
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What others are saying about our programs:
“Catherine is so passionate about creating great futures for our young people, and has the runs on the board when it comes to working with them. Mark her SEED Workshops as must-do’s in your school.”
Michael Grose |Parentingideas
“SEED Workshops is an amazing, innovative program. Its presenters have a unique skill of capturing immediate attention and rapport with all participants. Every single student involved will walk away with an intrinsic sense of empowerment, self-awareness and self-confidence. I encourage all proactive schools to commit to providing such a valuable educational resource to the students of their school community.”
Nicky Johnston | Happy Hero | Educator| Speaker| Author/Illustrator 'Go Away Mr Worrythoughts' series & 'Actually, I Can'
Catherine Manning has been a speaker for the South Eastern Centre for Sustainability’s Knowledge Works program since its inception. As a staunch activist and board member of several reputable community organisations, Catherine has been a strong advocate for a broad range of environmental and social justice issues and initiatives, which more often than not have lead to positive outcomes, sending out a strong message of empowerment and the ability to make a difference with those she comes into contact with. Catherine’s role as a keynote speaker for the International Women’s Day conference held at Toorak College that was attended by schools from and around Melbourne, was extremely well received, and was testament to her ability and expertise in delivering quality presentations to a wide range of people across a number of different age groups and areas.
Catherine’s SEED Workshops program promotes behavioral change and positive self-image via well-orchestrated activities that really connect with her audience.
The executive committee of the South Eastern Centre for Sustainability highly recommend Catherine and her SEED Workshops program.
Steve Karakitsos | President, South Eastern Centre for Sustainability
I thought we were going to be in for a boring lecture today, but it wasn’t like that at all! It was so much fun, and I learnt so many new things about myself and my friends. Thanks for teaching me how to be a good friend, to respectfully resolve conflict, how to relax, to reject toxic messages in the media and advertising, and to love myself. This was the best day ever.’
Greta | Year 9 | Glenroy