'A calling': women's work strengthens rural Australia

Key points

• Nicole Chiesa and Erin Smith have each received the $50,000 Tim Fischer Fellowship, which recognises people driving change through education in rural Australia. Ms Chiesa founded Link 2 Country, a program giving school students hands-on farming experience.
• It has reached about 1000 students in a little more than a year. Associate Professor Smith is expanding an online training module that helps rural paramedic and nursing students practise disaster response.
• The simulation was developed at La Trobe University and avoids long trips to the Melbourne campus for on-site drills.