Meet Felicity – A HMEF Coach and winner of a prestigious Gargi Woman Award for 2020
Our Felicity - winner of a 2020 Gargi Award for her contribution to education
Last Saturday the 17th of April the Hindu Council of Australia held their belated 2020 Gargi Awards for women’s contribution to society.
It was a superb afternoon of magnificient Indian dancing, delicious Indian cuisine and fabulous company made all the more memorable as our longest standing volunteer, Felicity Kean was awarded the Gargi award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education in Australian.
Melinda Zanello from the HMEF accepted the award in Felicity’s absence but she was definitely there in spirit.
Felicity has worked tirelessly over the past five years as a
volunteer for the Harding Miller Education Foundation in the capacity of a personal coach and student support to hundreds of young girls from significantly disadvantaged backgrounds.
In addition to her direct impact on our scholars, Felicity has been a public advocate and ambassador for the HMEF program for years. She has donated significantly to our cause but more importantly she has enabled others to give and support girls within their communities. The compounding impact of this is that more disadvantaged young women are completing high school, moving on to tertiary study and breaking the cycle of poverty across Australia.
The knowledge that Felicity has about the education system, it’s complications, value and how young women develop through their educational journey is an asset to not only the Foundation but to the Australian community.
We currently have all our coaching positioned filled for 2021 but if you are interested in learning more about opportunities in 2022 please register here.
Let’s celebrate girls around the world in shaping a more equal future
Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world
It’s at the heart of everything HMEF does and why we exist – to enable the future female leaders of Australia to build a better world. It’s simple – empowering the next generation of women to reach their potential and forge futures with no limitations benefits everyone the world over.
Our strongest example of this is the fact that the Australian of the year, the senior Australian of the year, the young Australian of the year and the local hero for 2021 are all women – women who are passionate, educated and driven to ensure that the next generation have a safer journey to success than they did and that their families, their children and their children’s children understand the sacrifices made to rewrite the future for girls across Australia.
For HMEF the two women who we believe are extraordinary visionaries are our Founders Kim Harding and Irene Miller. It is because of their hearts, minds, deep passionate for education and belief in girls potential than over 600 outstanding young women from low socioeconomic circumstances are seeing their futures brighten through education. The vision is to have 8000 girls receive HMEF scholarships over the next two decades and we are well placed to make this a reality (meet our team who are making this happen).
March 8 2021 is International Women’s Week and the theme this year celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future. Women bear the brunt of problems ranging from poverty to climate change, but they also possess assets and talents to solve them. (source).
To celebrate this day HMEF in collaboration with EY are hosting an event on Friday the 12th of March to celebrate our first two years of the HMEF alumni program, who are now forging careers across a variety of sectors. 
The keynote speaker for this event is Jo Masters, EY’s Chief Economist Oceania in 2019. Her passion for economics stems from her commitment in providing businesses with deep insights to the economy on a macro-level and what it means for them. She has been a part of the economic discussion in Australia for over 20 years and is a trusted advisor in economic and policy issues nationally, and on a global scale. Prior to EY, Jo was a senior economist at ANZ and spent over a decade at Macquarie Bank. She is a Member of the Committee for Economic Development Australia’s (CEDA) Council on Economic Policy, as well as an Executive Member of the Australian Business Economists and sits on the Advisory Board for the Financy Women’s Index.
Jo is a champion of driving women’s equality in the workforce and holds a strong passion for developing female financial literacy as well as promoting economics to young Australians. She believes economics is relevant and relatable to everyone in the community, and uses her public platform to encourage interest in the importance of understanding the impact of the macro-economy. Jo is committed to giving back to the community and has been involved with Gold Week at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, FoodBank and The Smith Family.
Jo has a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) from The University of Auckland, where she was awarded the Senior Prize in Economics. She also has a Master of Economics from The University of Sydney.
Unique HMEF Enrichment Opportunities
Careers In Focus Webinar Series
Last year we launched HMEF’s Careers in Focus monthly webinar sessions.
We invite all our girls to attend these 25-minute session so they can hear about a diverse range of career paths and the challenges that different women have had to overcome.
These sessions are a wonderful way for our scholars to learn about different career opportunities and “meet” different women with diverse interests and personalities and see how they have all achieved career success in their own right.
These sessions are only available to HMEF scholars as well as their HMEF personal coaches.
Previous Sessions
#1 July 2020 – Marketing & Communications Specialist (Stedfast Group Ltd)
#2 Aug 2020 – Procurement & Supply Chain Manager (Broadspectrum)
#3 Sep 2020 – Director of Real Estate – Accountant (Ernst & Young -EY)
#4 Oct 2020- Paediatric Retrieval Nurse (NETS)
#5 Nov 2020 – Engineer (BHP)
#6 Jan 2021 – Commercial Manager – Quantity Surveyor (Lendlease)
Procurement & Supply Chain Manager & Procurement & Supply Chain Manager session feedback – “As a result of the sessions I’ve attended, I’ve learned about how crucial procurement can be in increasing a company/ organisation’s profit and how they acquire goods for their business. I have also learned about the different aspects of accountancy and how it is a vital position in running a successful business. Accountancy helps a business with profit, loss, debts, expenses and keeps the business in place.
I attend these sessions because I enjoy learning about various careers, as well as to have a wider understanding about them.”
Paediatric Retrieval Nurse (NETS) session feedback – “Hi just emailing to say thank you for organising such an amazing session- as someone who wants to go into paediatric nursing I found it really interesting
Thank you for offering the opportunity to us girls I really appreciated it 😊”
HMEF Coaching And What It’s All About
Being a HMEF coach, what is it all about?
The main purpose of a Harding Miller Coach is to support and encourage the girls to do their best at school and to maximise the opportunities of their HMEF scholarship.
Coaches show an interest and check in regularly with their girls in order to build a comfortable rapport over time.
Not only do coaches help the girls explore experiences that enhance further tertiary education but they act as a general advocate of education in a scholarship recipient’s life.
Caroline Hill, the HMEF Scholarship Program Manager, recently came across a story on the Humans of New York Facebook page. It relates to a girl and the relationship she had with one of her teachers but it made her think of Harding Miller and the role our coaches play.
” ….it made me feel special that she would take an interest in me ….. she’d ask if I was doing my homework. She’d make sure I was completing my graduation requirements. Mrs Mahfood is the reason I went to college”.
Please visit this page of our website to enquire about becoming a coach with Harding Miller and watch the below video to learn more about the program and hear from our coaches.
150 scholarships for 2021
150 high achieving young women awarded life changing academic scholarships
For HMEF staff this is by far the most rewarding time of the year – when we can award scholarships to deserving young women, knowing that they are truly life-changing.
Every July through to November the Foundation enters the process of identifying the following years scholarship recipients (girls entering Y9). From July through to September applications are open across Australia and all government high schools and government education departments are informed about the scholarship. We also work with a number of strategic alliance partners to help us spread the word about the program, with the aim being to identify the most deserving applicants from all states and territories of Australia.
In 2020 we have over 750 applications across Australia and are delighted to be able to award 150, 4 year scholarships valued at $20,000 each. These are girls in low socioeconomic circumstances who have, despite their hardships managed to excel in their studies, extend themselves to learn more, take on leadership roles and dream of going to university and changing the world for the better. For these girls their dreams are much closer to becoming a reality.
Every year we are nothing short of blown away by the high standard of applications we receive. This year we had over 70 judges across Australia take part in the judging process and the feedback was resoundingly inspiring.
Our Founders, Kim and Irene have a dream – 8000 scholarships in 2 decades, and as we enter our sixth year of operation and we are on track to make this happen with community and donor support.
Five Benefits Of Tutoring For Students
For girls from low socioeconomic circumstances, many of whom have unique challenges and are disproportionately likely to struggle with their confidence and sense of self-efficacy, personalised academic support can have particular benefits.
Each Harding Miller scholarship includes up to $2,500 worth of personalised tutoring for core subjects every year — a feature I believe has a profound impact on a students’ ability to succeed at school. I love that each girl is given the flexibility to decide which tutor and tutoring format best suits them and their schedule, and is encouraged to explore everything from in-person sessions to a live online format.
The right tutor, the right program and pace can elevate a young woman’s learning substantially, offering personalised support which can build confidence, increase academic outcomes and encourage a love of learning that just might stay with them for life.
Here are the top five ways I believe tutoring can help students thrive.
- The classroom format is one-to-many. Tutoring is one-to-one
Access to education in Australia is a genuine privilege. That said, class sizes are growing and many of the HMEF scholars aren’t in a position to receive individual help from family or friends outside their school environment. Tutoring gives these students individual attention to catch up or push them ahead depending on their particular needs.
For me, tutoring is less about getting top marks than about ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn at their own pace with a dedicated educator.
- Tutoring helps students build confidence and overcome hurdles
Tutoring can absolutely help to improve academic achievement, however a more fundamental purpose is to bolster each child’s confidence and deepen their enjoyment of school so that they become engaged in the process of learning…well into adulthood.
Tutoring gives HMEF scholars the opportunity to focus on the areas they feel they need the most help with, ask their tutor as many questions as they need, and ultimately help them to see that, actually, they can do it.
- Tutoring fills knowledge gaps
Many recipients come from a range of backgrounds and abilities, but I’ve seen first hand that all show wonderful potential. Some students have missed periods of school for various reasons while others have worked to overcome different barriers. Tutoring provides an opportunity for girls to focus on areas in which they might be struggling, ensuring they can keep pace with their classmates.
- Tutoring can be tailored to a range of needs and schedules
Some girls work up to thirty hours per week supporting or supplementing their household income. Others live in quite remote areas or have family commitments. Tutoring is about understanding the individual needs of each student and finding a time that suits their schedule and routine.
I love that Harding Miller partners with a variety of providers, from online tutors to in-person help, to ensure they can meet the needs of their recipients.
- Tutoring gives girls access to a learning partner who isn’t a parent or teacher
It’s not always easy for students (especially the teenage variety) to speak up or ask questions in class or at home. Tutoring offers a dedicated person who goes at the pace of each student. The one-to-one nature of sessions also offers them the freedom to ask “silly” questions or express themselves away from their peers or family members.
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Cluey Learning provides online tutoring options across three core subjects: Maths, English and Chemistry. The currently provide personalised online tutoring to 23 HMEF that their scholarships pay for.
Since 2019 they have donated funds to support two HMEF scholars in NSW with full scholarships across the four years of the program. One of their scholars is Lily Masters who Selina presented with her scholarship award in 2019 at the Sydney Town Hall.
Selina is also a personalise coach to two HMEF scholars.
2020 Christmas Message
HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON AND CONGRATS TO OUR Y12 SCHOLARS!
Thank you to our wonderful community – now is the time to let your hair down, relax and be with those you cherish the most. We wish you every happiness and joy over the holiday season!
Congratulations to our HSC graduates!
This is Julina Lim, from Cabramatta High School, a HMEF scholar who topped the state in economics in the 2020 HSC – go girl! Read Julina’s story and those of other students here.
What Everyone Should Know About Scholarships
Six Things Everyone Should Know About Scholarships
There’s no denying that scholarships for disadvantaged students change lives. You only have to read the inspiring stories of young women who received high school scholarships through the Harding Miller Education Foundation (HMEF) to understand the huge impact that they have on people’s lives.
The cost of attending high school and college for tertiary studies is often out of reach for some students. Even government-funded public schools that offer children a free education expect parents to pay for uniforms and ask for voluntary contributions for textbooks and excursions. It’s therefore not surprising that students from lower income households are missing out on a basic level of education.
When you consider that women are more likely to live in poverty than men, it’s girls who could benefit most from female scholarships to achieve their full potential.
However, not all female students and their families are aware that they may be eligible for scholarships or even understand what extra funding can do for them.
Here, we look at the basic things that everyone should know about scholarships.
1. Everyone Could Be Eligible for a Scholarship
It’s a common misconception that scholarships are only reserved for international students or those who excel at sports or have achieved the highest grades. In truth, if you’re from a disadvantaged home and show academic potential and the motivation to study, you could be entitled to a financial award.
There are plenty of scholarships for girl students to apply for. Many schools and colleges run their own scholarship programs, which must be applied for directly. But, there are also hundreds of Australian institutions that welcome applications from young female students looking for help gaining the education they deserve. For example: Students looking for support while gaining Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications could consider applying for the BUSY at Work program. If technology is your thing, the Australian Computer Society Foundation has awarded over 6,000 scholarships since its launch in 2001.
The Public Education Foundation offers a wide variety of scholarships focusing on specific areas of need, such as refugees, indigenous, rural and disabled students.
Don’t forget the HMEF scholarship program that offers grants to females in high school. Through our scholarships, we help girls experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage to improve their educational outcomes and achieve their career aspirations.
2. You Can Apply for More Than One Scholarship
You don’t have to restrict yourself by applying for just one scholarship. The reality is that you should not expect to win them all, so the more you apply for, the greater your chances of being accepted. Always read the criteria to ensure that you meet the requirements, and spend time on the application to make sure that you get it right. If you don’t try, you definitely won’t win a scholarship.
3. Don’t Apply for Everything
Many students make the mistake of applying for every scholarship they can find. Completing an application can be a long process, and it may take you hours to fill out an application form or write a submission essay. Completing excessive applications is not only frustrating, but it could be a waste of time, especially if you find yourself applying for programs that you’re not eligible for.
Restrict yourself to spending time on just four or five applications. For college and university scholarships, narrow down the search using a website like the Good Universities Guide. Fewer applications mean you can focus on each one to let your enthusiasm shine through in your submission.
4. Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Pay for More Than Tuition Fees
Scholarships come in different shapes and sizes. Small monetary grants are useful for covering your school tuition fees. Midsize scholarships should also pay for uniforms and excursions. Full scholarships for students going to college or university also help to cover the costs of accommodation and living for the duration of your degree.
However, full scholarships for females in high school can help pay for so much more. For example, the HMEF scholarship is valued at $20,000 over four years to support disadvantaged girls from year nine through graduation. In the first year, students are given a laptop and high-speed internet access. For each of the four years, the program covers school expenses, uniforms, personal tutoring and unlimited online homework assistance.
For families who struggle to pay for their children to attend secondary school and college, these scholarships are invaluable.
5. Be Original and Creative in Your Application
Many scholarships require applicants to write an essay. As it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd, you need to grab the scholarship committee’s attention in the first few sentences. It’s vital that your essay is both creative and original.
Always answer the question being asked. There’s no need to mention the question. A well-written essay makes the answer clear without being obvious.
- Stay on track. It’s easy to veer off subject.
- Stick to answering the question.
- Think outside the box.
- Don’t be afraid to be creative in your essay. Unique ideas will help you stand out.
- Check for plagiarism. Using someone else’s work is unethical and will lead to your application being rejected.
- Make sure your essay is grammatically correct. Check your work for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Then, check it again!
6. Scholarships Change Lives
Scholarships are a lifeline for students who live in low-income households. They provide the financial and emotional support necessary to help students reach their educational potential.
As an Australian charity and public benevolent institution, HMEF strives to change the lives of young girls by giving them the opportunity to study without worrying about the financial burden. Meet our 2020 scholars who are set to receive the backing they need to realise their dreams.
What Is A Gender Analysis?
What Is A Gender Analysis?
There is clear evidence of the link between educating women and the alleviation of poverty in society.
When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90% of it into their families, compared with 30-40% for a man.
Girls face many barriers to getting an education that boys do not. Some of these include pregnancy, domestic and care responsibilities, and perceptions that education of girls is less valuable than education of boys.
Educating women results in strong economies, reduced poverty for children and families and will have a significant impact in reducing the gender gap and elevating women to an equal status of men in society.
Click here to learn about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that HMEF support.
Watch the below video to learn how HMEF supports girls.
Acute Economic Disadvantage: Who It Affects And How?
Acute Economic Disadvantage: Who It Affects And How?
“Despite Australia’s continuous growth in the past few decades, 3 million people are still economically disadvantaged“
Of these, 739,000 are children. The Productivity Commission defines disadvantage as a multidimensional concept that goes beyond low income and also includes lack of opportunities as well as social exclusion. This is particularly important for disadvantaged females whose education and employability can oftentimes be overlooked at the expense of other, more immediate needs of the family, such as caring for other family members.
Acute economic disadvantage often means that girls don’t have the equipment and resources necessary to benefit from the same opportunities their peers from more privileged backgrounds enjoy. Deeply rooted disadvantage undermines the concept of meritocracy and equal opportunities. Without proper assistance, thousands of girls’ potential can remain unrealised.
Different Forms of Acute Economic Disadvantage
Financial destitution is the main and most obvious form of acute economic disadvantage. However, there are many other forms of disadvantages as well. Family violence or dysfunction, substance abuse and low academic achievement in parents or the child’s primary caregiver are other contributors to the disadvantage that can shape students’ worldviews and life opportunities.
Rational choice theory, for instance, shows that families who suffer from social inequality use different sets of parameters to measure the value of pursuing education. For example, disadvantaged and uneducated parents might reason that it would be better for their children to get a job as soon as possible in order to earn money as opposed to incurring additional costs by pursuing education. On the other hand, economically advantaged families may view education as a long-term investment. The prism through which the economically disadvantaged view education is different from the prism through which the privileged view it.
Certain groups, due to stigma and marginalisation, are also more likely to suffer from a socioeconomic disadvantage:
- Those identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- Those identifying as a Pacific or South Wales Islander
- Students living in out of home care
- Those living with or having a family member with a disability
Members of marginalised groups are not only physically alienated by living in isolated communities, but the classroom itself can also feel unwelcoming by not representing their values, cultures and languages, which can further discourage school attendance and educational aspirations.
Additionally, geographic isolation and a lack of resources cause students to miss school simply because they have no means to get to the school premises. Likewise, the physical distance from peers leads disadvantaged children to follow in the footsteps of their parents, as they have less exposure to what life could look like outside of their immediate environment.
Girls are particularly vulnerable in this context as they can often assume the role of the primary caregivers for needy or sick family members and, if education is accessible, are oftentimes second in line after their male counterparts.
All of these factors have an impact on how students perceive themselves and on how society as a whole perceives the economically disadvantaged.
The Importance of Helping Economically Disadvantaged Girls
Removing economic disadvantage in students is not as easy as giving family money. Many of the side effects of long-term disadvantage are deeply ingrained in children, affecting their aspirations and belief that they can change their circumstances. Tackling disadvantage, therefore, requires a holistic approach that addresses the financial, emotional and psychological barriers disadvantaged students face.
Addressing economic disadvantage in girls and offering them support in their education is particularly important. A 2018 study done by Acoss and the University of New South Wales shows that the majority of people in Australia living in poverty are women. Many of these live as single-parent families where the risk for intergenerational poverty is heightened. Likewise, divorced women or women facing unemployment are more at risk of poverty than men, so offering strong educational foundations is paramount to protecting girls’ long-term livelihood.
Other than the increased vulnerability in women, supporting them in their educational aspirations is proven to have many positive knock-on effects, both on their personal life and society as a whole. Increased levels of education in girls can:
- Significantly reduce the likelihood of teenage pregnancies and, consequently, improve their employment opportunities and quality of life
- Significantly impact academic achievement in their children’s lives
- Reduce infant mortality rate
- Improve women’s independence and lifespan
Girls’ education is particularly important for addressing gender inequality and minimising the pay gap that exists in the workplace today. When disadvantaged women have less education than their more privileged counterparts, they face a limited skill set and, as a result, an even lower pay rate.
Help Us Support an Economically Disadvantaged Girl Today
At Harding Miller Education Foundation, we’ve seen the difference early support can make in disadvantaged females’ lives and aspirations. Over the years, we’ve supported over 200 girls with more than $2 million in scholarships for year nine to year 12 by covering all their expenses and offering coaching and additional support to ensure they succeed. Our team has seen young girls from all backgrounds blossom into scholars who are excited about their future and life.
Our aim is to increase the number of scholarships we can offer each year so that more and more girls are pulled out of poverty and given equal opportunities. We work with individuals as well as corporate partners to increase our pool of funds and change the livelihood of girls who show academic potential but suffer from deeply rooted disadvantage. All of our partners receive quarterly reports of the student they support to see their progress and the difference their donation makes in the girls’ lives.
To find out more or make a donation, please fill in our donation form or give us a call on 1300 103 896.
