Passing of Sir Zelman Cowen
The Board, Founder, CEO, staff and friends of Ardoch are deeply saddened by the passing of our Patron, Sir Zelman Cowen, AK GCMG GCVO QC on 8 December 2011. Ardoch was fortunate to have the support of Sir Zelman, who strived to help remove the barriers to education for children and young people experiencing disadvantage. He will be remembered fondly by all associated with Ardoch for his commitment to education in Australia.
Our warmest condolences are extended to Lady Anna and the Cowen family.
Obituary of Sir Zelman Cowen from The Australian.
'Back to School' Gifts for the Festive Season
First day of school.
Exciting. Scary.
New books, uniform, bag, shoes, lunchbox, stationery. New teachers, classmates, friends.
For some children and families, the start of the school year is not just exciting and a bit daunting. For some, this time is filled with anxiety, worrying about how to afford the things they need to learn, to fit in and make friends, and to enjoy being at school. For some, this time marks the beginning of a pattern of school avoidance and disengagement that continues throughout life.
How you can help
Give a gift at the start of the school year for a child in need, and help make their first days at school happy and memorable. It's easy. Select a gift or gifts, then simply complete the order form and send it to us.
Gift certificates
If you would like to make your gift to a child on behalf of a friend or loved one, we will send you an Ardoch gift certificate(s) with your receipt, detailing what your donation will mean to a young person.
Making A Difference Award
This year, we awarded Ardoch's first ever Making A Difference Award, named in honor of Ardoch's Founder, Kathy Hilton and her efforts in making a difference in the community.
42 students from a number of Ardoch's partner schools received the award, which aims to inspire community minded students to make a difference in their world. Each award winner is given $50 to make a difference in their community.
To showcase all the amazing work the students have undertaken throughout the year, Ardoch has put together an e-book which highlights some of the truly inspirational projects the students have implemented in their communities.
Hot Off The Press - Literacy Buddies Evaluation
Ardoch is releasing an exciting new piece of externally evaluated research into the impact and effectiveness of Ardoch's Community Volunteers Program in schools.
The research gathered 188 responses from Big Buddies (corporate volunteers) with 65% being first-time participants in the program. A sample group of seven teachers also responded to a survey about impact of the program in their classroom.
ACER Evaluation Research
Ardoch has partnered with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to evaluate the work of our Western Linking Communities and Schools (WLinCS) program in Sunshine and Maribyrnong over the last five years.
We would like to sincerely thank the Besen Family Foundation for their generous support of Ardoch's WLinCS project since 2006 and for funding the ACER evaluation report.
"The ACER evaluation of Ardoch's work in the West of Melbourne provides an important addition to the evidence base around the crucial role that community organisations, businesses and philanthropy can play in educational and student wellbeing outcomes."
- Mandy Burns
Click here to download the report.
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