To get to that meeting Corey had to walk past stacks of books filled with the works of generations of scientists who came before him. He knew he wanted to be like them.

It was in this setting that the Kamilaroi man from the South Coast of New South Wales told his teacher he wanted to become a zookeeper.

Rather than being encouraged, the now-27-year-old was not only told he would never be mentioned in the same sentence as his scientific idols — but that he could also forget pursuing the study altogether.

You have probably already guessed it, but Corey's teacher ended up being wrong

Mr Tutt did not listen to his careers counsellor's advice; after being encouraged by an Indigenous Taronga Zoo Sydney zookeeper, he started volunteering at Roo Gully Wildlife Sanctuary in Western Australia.

That gig led to a role as an animal technician at the University of Sydney, where Mr Tutt now works as a research assistant for the Matilda Centre.

He may not have ended up with a science degree, but this has not kept him from the field.

And his experiences have given him a new agenda; helping Indigenous kids realise their dreams, whatever those dreams may be.

"Being Indigenous, you're normally pushed towards the arts and sports, and they're wonderful things, but not everyone's going to be an NRL player. And not everyone enjoys art."

And so it was that Deadly Science was born.

Through the project, Mr Tutt sends books and educational resources to remote schools in need.

One of them only had 15 books in its library before he sent more up.

Why people are talking about Closing the Gap

It is vital work, if the experts (read: the Federal Government) are anything to go by.

Last week's 12th Closing the Gap report revealed Aboriginal children across the country are lagging behind non-Indigenous children in literacy, numeracy and writing skills.

On top of that, we are only on track to meet two of seven government targets to reduce the disparity in health, education and employment outcomes.

As the country reacted to the failure, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said new targets and an overhaul of the current framework would be led by Indigenous Australians.

This project has been in the works for several years.

But those on the ground are not waiting for the Government; like Mr Tutt, they are already working on creating the change they want to see in their communities.

What happened when one man started sending his own books to remote schools

Mr Tutt had to work two jobs to cover the cost of getting Deadly Science up and running.

Now more than 100 schools and foundations have benefited from his efforts.

With the help of donations, he has provided over 7,000 books and 200 telescopes to schools in need since starting it just under two years ago.

On top of this, he runs Skype sessions and shares videos and Q&As with scientists including Professor Brian Cox and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, so students can ask questions about real science.

It is paying off.

In a recent survey, these schools showed a 25 per cent increase in engagement in STEM subjects.

Corey is far from the only Indigenous person driving change. Wondering who else to pay attention to?

On the same day the Closing the Gap report was released, five Indigenous changemakers — of which Mr Tutt was one — put their projects to Parliament, after being recognised as Trailblazers as part of the remote, rural and regional 2020 ABC Heywire project.

Together, their initiatives address health, education and the continuity of cultur

Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG), fronted by Semara Jose, Ferlin King and Tamika Young, are working on the latter in Cairns, Far North Queensland.

DIYDG's mission is to empower and support young Indigenous people in Cairns, re-connecting them with culture in the hope of cutting crime and suicide rates and addressing mental health issues.

Their biggest event is an annual wellbeing camp, bringing together young people to connect to culture, create a sense of belonging and foster emotional safety.

In Forster, New South Wales, 26-year-old Worimi woman Tanika Davis is working to bridge the communication gap between health professionals and Indigenous families.

After her son was diagnosed with autism, the countless doctors' appointments, NDIS visits, therapy appointments and nutrition consultations piled up.

On top of all the life admin, she was exposed to the stigma that surrounds autism, which she says is especially prevalent within Indigenous communities.

To combat some of it, and to make sure her son would have access to culturally sensitive educational resources, Mrs Davis created The I Am, Movement.

She creates resources including flash cards featuring artwork by Indigenous artists, depicting native animals and environments.

This year, she is fundraising to travel to five NSW communities to culturally upskill doctors, therapists and educators about autism.