Education grants address disadvantage

Seventy primary schools, pre-schools, kindergartens and high-schools will share just over $382,000 in grants through FRRR’s Rural Education Australia Program, better known as REAPing Rewards.

This is the second round of this highly sought-after program, which supports education in rural, regional and remote Australia from preschool to senior secondary college. Some 233 groups applied, requesting funding of $1.9 million towards projects valued at nearly $3.9 million.

FRRR’s CEO, Ms Alexandra Gartmann, said that this high demand reinforces the need for additional investment in education in regional, rural and remote Australia, especially in light of trecent Australian Institute of Family Studies report* about the tyranny of distance and subsequent poorer learning outcomes experienced by students in these areas.

“Access to programs and resources is often a major barrier to learning in rural Australia, affecting students’ engagement and motivation,” Ms Gartmann explained.

“However this program, with generous funding support from The Ian Potter Foundation, The Yulgilbar Foundation, Third Link Investment and The Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, among others, is helping to restore the balance and ensure children in these areas enjoy equal access to resources and opportunities.

“Growing need is demonstrated by the fact that nearly half of the groups applying to FRRR were new to our organisation. Unfortunately, we could still only help about a third of the applicants. We will therefore continue to fund-raise, and welcome tax-deductible contributions,” Ms Gartmann said.

The diversity of innovative projects funded in this round is testament to the commitment of parents, teachers and broader community.

Projects funded varied enormously, but some of the most commonly funded items included:

• Technology to enhance learning experiences and enable preschools to comply with requirements of the Early Years Learning Framework
• Educational equipment to encourage outdoor play and physical activity
• Preschool infrastructure development
• Cultural immersion programs
• Supporting arts and music programs
• Literacy programs, both within the schools and in the home supported by community services
• Resilience and student leadership programs
• School readiness/ early intervention programs
• Programs that engage students in alternative educational settings and activities
• Mathematics and science extension programs in high schools

Details of all the projects funded are below. If you wish to jump to a particular state, select the relevant link:

QLD    NSW     VIC    TAS     SA    NT    WA