Announcements
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3.5 million for Indigenous youth programs
The funding was announced by Telstra Foundation chairman, Herb Elliott AC MBE, and Telstra CEO, David Thodey, at an event at Queensland University of Technology with Indigenous leaders, and school children who have benefited from past Telstra Foundation funding.
Mr Elliott congratulated the leaders of recipient organizations – Catherine Freeman from the Catherine Freeman Foundation, Michael Long from The Long Walk, Dr Chris Sarra from QUT’s Stronger Smarter Institute, Jason Glanville from the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, and Carrine Liddell from La Perouse Youth Haven.
“It’s our great pleasure to announce funding for projects headed up by these visionary Indigenous leaders, and our expectation is that their communities will reap success by enabling their youth to reach their full potential,” Mr Elliott said.
“It is imperative that all children in Australia today have the education, support and opportunity to succeed in their lives. Three years ago the Telstra Foundation supported Dr Chris Sarra at QUT’s Stronger Smarter Institute to help overcome the low educational expectations of Indigenous students. We are proud that this program has tipped the educational balance to a point where school and communities work together, where despair has changed to hope and there are no more excuses for under-performance,” Mr Elliott said.
Mr Thodey said that recognising and supporting innovative leadership was essential, both in the community and in business.
“I am proud that the Telstra Foundation is working with such a wonderful group of Australian community leaders on these important initiatives to help support and develop Indigenous communities around Australia,” Mr Thodey said.
The announcement brings Telstra Foundation’s investment in Indigenous Australia to $12.5 million over seven years, and fulfils a funding commitment made in Telstra’s 2010 Reconciliation Action Plan[1].
The programs to benefit are –
- $550,428 for the Catherine Freeman Foundation’s Palm Island Early Childhood Language and Literacy Project to promote early childhood literacy, improving children's long-term educational prospects.
- $1.2 million for QUT’s Stronger Smarter Institute’s program challenging education expectations of Indigenous schoolchildren, bringing the Telstra Foundation’s total commitment to this program to $2.4 million. The project is co-funded with the Sydney Myer Fund.
- $610,000 for The Long Walk Trust's Get the Conversation Started program, driving Indigenous education into schools.
- $750,000 for Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre's Leadership Plus to reconnect past students via an alumni network. The project is co-funded with the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund.
- $572,985 for continuing education and support of local Indigenous youth through the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council in partnership with La Perouse Youth Haven.
About Telstra Foundation
Established in 2002, the Telstra Foundation supports community organisations that share our vision of making a positive and lasting difference to the lives of Australia’s children and young people. The Telstra Foundation offers support to a significant number of life-changing projects across Australia through its two main programs - the Telstra Foundation Community Development Fund and Telstra's Kids Fund. Since its inception, the Telstra Foundation has supported more than 6,000 projects with more than $35 million in funding. More information: www.telstrafoundation.com
1 Telstra Reconciliation Action Plan, p12: Action to provide support to Indigenous communities through the Telstra Foundation Community Development Fund.
Reference Number: 263/2010
Related information
Links
- More about The Long Walk Trust (DOC, 882KB)
- More about Stronger Smarter Institute (DOC, 385KB)
- More about Catherine Freeman Foundation (DOC, 155KB)
- More about Leadership Plus (DOC, 219KB)
- More about La Perouse Youth Haven (DOC, 292KB)
- The Telstra Foundation
