Education is a human right. A good education opens a pathway for young people, creating a flow-on effect that enhances not only their employment opportunities, but also their overall health and well-being for life.
Students, especially females, from low socioeconomic backgrounds, regional and rural areas are most vulnerable to encountering barriers when it comes to accessing additional education support. This can greatly impact their success, particularly during the senior school years.
To address this inequality Monash University’s Professor Michael Phillips and Tara Mannix created the Monash Virtual School. “We feel a moral obligation to challenge inequities. Our educational designs demonstrate our understanding that no two situations are the same. This has allowed us to co-design STEM programs with primary schools, offer online STEM revision classes for senior students, and to provide educational support internationally for displaced young people,” says Mannix.
“Our aim is to promote hope and empowerment for these individuals and, in turn, their communities.”
Starting with a small team of 12 volunteer pre-service teachers, who delivered VCE revision classes to 300 students during the pandemic, the program has since grown to provide critical education to more than 70,000 young people.
This growth would not have been possible without the generosity and vision of the Invergowrie Foundation. Underpinned by their mission to advance female education and participation in the underrepresented fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Invergowrie Foundation provided philanthropic funding to the program in Australia, helping scale and amplify it in 2022.
CEO Kim Bartlett said they were proud to continue their philanthropic partnership with Monash University on the project, giving girls the opportunities to thrive and advance in their studies.
The power of philanthropy
Monash’s Virtual School has opened doors for Deniz Karakaya. Born and raised in regional Australia, Karakaya participated in the Virtual School throughout Year 12.
“My STEM subjects were the main subjects I attended as I did need the extra support and guidance. It was really accessible and free of cost. I've been very thankful for the opportunity for that resource to be available to me as a regional student. “
Professor Phillips says support from the Invergowrie Foundation has been integral to advancing this game-changing program, and helping the team achieve their vision of a world where young people have access to quality education that allows them to reach their full potential.
“Philanthropic funding is vital to the work of Monash Virtual School,” says Professor Phillips. “We now have more than 125,000 free online educational places for students who would otherwise miss out on education. Without philanthropic funding, our efforts to provide equality for disadvantaged young people simply would not be possible.
Still, there’s so much more that the team would like to investigate.
“We would love to explore the possibilities of doing more for Indigenous students in Australia. We know that sociocultural factors make formal K-12 schooling difficult for many and role modelling, mentoring and educational opportunities delivered by Indigenous educators can be key to shaping the futures of many young people.
“Together we can work to remove barriers to education and empower young people to build a better future for themselves and their communities.”
Join us to Change it. For Future Generations
The Invergowrie Foundation’s generous philanthropic gift contributes to the university’s Change It. For Future Generations campaign, which is the largest public fundraising initiative in Monash’s history.
You too have the power to deliver education to students experiencing disadvantage. Join us as we work together to address this global challenge. We invite you to have a conversation with our team to find out how your support can create real and meaningful change, and transform our world for the better.