News

ByLauren Jenkins

Cara’s Podcast Interview With Education Perfect

Podcast Interview with Education Perfect

We are also excited to share with you our Executive Director, Cara Varian’s first podcast interview. “My call to action for young girls is to go for everything. Do not ever limit yourself. There is so much out there for you. Try everything and believe in yourself.”   

In this EPisode, Jimmy chats with Cara Varian, Executive Director at the Harding Miller Education Foundation. The Foundation provides a unique scholarship program for high potential girls from low socioeconomic circumstances. “When you educate a girl you break the vicious cycle of poverty. Girls supported with equipment, money for resources and tutoring and coaching will be much more likely to complete high school and undertake further education after school.”

You can listen to Cara’s podcast interview with Education Perfect here – https://bit.ly/30AT5mV

ByLauren Jenkins

Where Your Donation Goes And How It Helps

This Is Exactly Where Your Donation Goes And How It Helps

A Harding Miller scholarship donation is the most direct way for philanthropists around the world to support the increase in education for girls throughout Australia. Harding Miller scholarships are available to girls in all of Australia’s states and territories, meaning that no girl will be left behind in receiving the financial aid and social support required to complete their education, for a better chance at life.

As a fully registered Australian Charity, the Harding Miller Education Foundation offers complete transparency to its donors so you can be sure of exactly where your donation is going 100% of the time. 

How Your Donation Helps Girls Receive an Education

By being awarded a Harding Miller Education Foundation academic scholarship, girls are not only given the tools and resources that they need to complete their high school studies, but to build direct pathways to tertiary and further education in the future. Multiple studies have shown the positive effects on disrupting the poverty cycle from girls receiving a quality education. Our purpose at the Harding Miller Education Foundation is to provide resources, both financial and social, that girls from low socio-economic and disadvantaged backgrounds need to achieve their goals. 

The Harding Miller educational scholarship is a 4-year program supporting girls in public high schools around Australia from Year 9, through to the completion of Year 12. The scholarship program allocates donations directly to the girls in the program to ensure that they have all the tools required for a successful high school career. 

How Your Donation is Distributed

When you donate towards a Harding Miller educational scholarship, you can be assured that 100% of your donation is going directly to the girls in the scholarship program. Foundation running costs are funded under a separate corpus, so there is no need for concern that your donation is being misdirected. Scholarship donations are used to cover the costs of girls attending public high school in Australia and can be dispersed for many of the costs associated with studying including: 

  • Purchase of computers 
  • Internet running costs 
  • Money for essential equipment 
  • Subscription to an online study help provider
  • Annual fees for additional online tutoring 

In addition to the financial resources provided through donation, the Harding Miller Education Foundation also provides personal coaching and mentoring to each girl, from a team of volunteer coaches, for the duration of her scholarship. 

How Your Donation Makes a Difference in Young Lives

Girls are proven to earn up to 25% more income for each year of additional education they complete, and they are much more likely to invest in their children’s education in the future. Your donation to the Harding Miller scholarship program directly assists us in providing educational opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to young girls, at the very foundation of their educational career. 

The selection criteria for a Harding Miller Education Foundation scholarship focuses on girls with high academic potential who are experiencing disadvantage, to aid them in overcoming social and financial limitations. Providing an educational scholarship to girls in these kinds of situations helps to level the playing field with peers who are more socio-economically advantaged; effectively working towards closing the gap for disadvantaged students in receiving a quality education. 

Change a Life and Donate Today

Donating towards a Harding Miller scholarship is giving the gift of knowledge to young minds all around Australia. Whether your donation is a single gift of support, an ongoing family or community scholarship, or a corporate giving exercise, every single dollar received helps towards changing a girl’s life for the better. Support the growing movement for the education of girls around the world and donate to a Harding Miller educational scholarship today. 

ByLauren Jenkins

What Is A High School Scholarship And How To Apply For One

What Is a High School Scholarship, and How Do I Apply for One?

High school scholarships are an important instrument for supporting young people in need by removing the socioeconomic inequality that inherently exists in modern society.

High school can be an exciting time in children’s education as they learn more about the world and their own interests and talents. However, for many young people who live in poverty or who don’t have the support of their families, this can be a challenging time. Families might not have the means or the know-how to give their children the necessary assistance during this period of growth and transition, which can further deepen the inequality between students.

At Harding Miller Education Foundation, we understand the difference education can make, not only in the student’s life but in society as a whole. Quality education, particularly for women, can remove intergenerational poverty, create new opportunities and encourage social innovation and development. That’s why we created our high school scholarship for girls, which acknowledges their potential and supports them fully throughout years 9 to 12.

What Is a High School Scholarship?

Secondary education in Australia can cost anywhere from $,3708 to $30,000 per year, depending on the educational institution. This can put a serious financial strain on families and have negative repercussions for long-term livelihoods of their children.

High school scholarships offer financial support toward the full cost of high school education, and these can be granted by the government, independent foundations or the educational institution itself. The scholarship usually covers tuition fees, books and laptop costs, tutoring, living expenses and accommodation. The aim of the scholarship is to remove the financial burden from the student and their family so that the student can focus solely on learning.

The Harding Miller High School Scholarships

Our high school scholarships in Australia are aimed at girls who come from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background and who demonstrate great academic potential. Our scholarship is different from most other scholarships because our focus goes beyond financial support, and we make sure that each girl has all the necessary academic and emotional assistance to make the most out of her high school education.

Recipients of our scholarships get $20,000 per year for year 9 to year 12, with the following support:

  • Funds for reliable internet connection and a laptop
  • School uniforms, excursions and other operational expenses
  • $2,500 per year for tutoring
  • Access to Studiosity for help with homework
  • Coaching to make sure the students are making the most of their scholarship

We believe that the best scholarships for high school seniors have a holistic approach toward helping children and take into account their overall psychological, emotional and financial circumstances. We have supported hundreds of girls in their education already, and we know that 50% hold a leadership position in their school, whereas 85% have a clear idea on how they’d like to proceed with their tertiary education.

How to Apply for the Harding Miller Scholarship

Our application process is very straightforward. We want to encourage as many students to apply as possible. Each year we extend the number of scholarships we can offer.

To qualify for our scholarship, the student needs to meet the following criteria:

  • Be in Y8 at the time of application
  • Attend Australian public school
  • Be an Australian citizen or resident
  • Come from a disadvantaged background, such as low income or low parental education
  • Have proof of academic potential from their school principal
  • Demonstrate leadership potential by involvement in extracurricular activities in the community

Applications for scholarships are available on our website. To apply, click on Apply for a Scholarship. Our applications for 2021 open in the middle of July 2020, so make a note of this link and start preparing the necessary documentation. You can easily save your application and return to it at a later date, so you can work on it at your own pace.

What to Expect After You’ve Applied

Once the application process is closed, all applications are reviewed by a panel from the Harding Miller Education Foundation, the Department of Education, Public Education Foundation and independent panel members.

The panel reviews the applications based on merit and makes recommendations to the HMEF Board. All successful applicants and their parents or guardians will be notified via email of the outcome of their application.

The scholarship is initially awarded for two years. Students are required to take a survey and to submit their grade reports at the end of each year to demonstrate their progress. If academic requirements are met, the scholarship is extended for another two years.

Get in Touch

Applying for a scholarship requires upfront preparation and planning for the best outcomes. Applicants need to gather all necessary documentation and recommendation letters and work on their personal essays that support their application. If you have or know a child who meets the criteria outlined above, please call us at 1300 103 896, and one of our staff members would be happy to help. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news on our scholarship and the difference it makes in girls’ education.

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ByLauren Jenkins

Volunteer Week 2020 – Executive Director Message

Volunteer Week 2020

ByLauren Jenkins

Why We Need To Educate Girls

The Role of Education in Women’s Empowerment

“I’ll be the first person in my family to finish the HSC”

In the 21st century, you might assume that girls and boys have equal opportunity when it comes to education. Sadly, this is not the case. Girls worldwide still face barriers to education that boys do not encounter. Yet, a good standard of education is essential if women are to achieve equality in society.

Here’s why it matters and what we can do to help redress the balance.

Why we need to educate girls globally

Women today seem as if they can do anything men can do. From prominent businesswomen to activists such as Greta Thunberg, and even world leaders including Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern, powerful women are constantly making headlines. But, these women are the lucky ones who have been educated enough to achieve positions of power and influence on the world stage.

Worldwide, there is still a huge disparity between boys and girls when it comes to their educational standards. Research by the United Nations shows that only 39% of countries have equal amounts of boys and girls attending high school. In many countries, girls are still expected to spend their time performing domestic duties while the boys go to school. This is a reflection of the expectation that girls will only go on to become wives and mothers rather than having careers in later life.

Even in Australia, women are more likely to be disadvantaged and are underrepresented in positions of power. Only 16.1% of board members in Australia are currently women, and there are still only small percentages of women entering politics or working in science, technology, and engineering. Yet, if we harnessed the full potential of women, we could increase Australia’s GDP by 11%.

The importance of an education fund for girls
Girls’ education has been a prominent issue since the first feminist movement of the 1960s, and it has gradually gathered pace. In the last 10 years, we have made huge progress in the number of girls worldwide receiving at least a primary education. However, we need to do a lot more to help girls succeed in high school.

The Harding Miller Education Foundation is an education fund providing scholarships specifically to help girls who are facing disadvantage. This ensures that girls with high potential can break the barriers facing them, ensuring that they can complete their high school education and opening the doors to university education and a professional career.

Without initiatives like this, many women still end up reliant on a partner for money or working in an unskilled, low-paid job. This needs to change if we want to create a fairer, more representative society fit for the future.

If you would like more information about the Harding Miller Education Foundation and education opportunities for girls, please contact us, and we will be happy to help.

ByLauren Jenkins

Six Reasons Why You Should Give To HMEF This Christmas

Six reasons to give to Harding Miller this Christmas

“Australian’s are great givers”

Christmas is a time for giving! While choosing gifts for our family and friends are our first priority, it’s the time of year to appreciate what we have and look at ways we can make a difference to others.

Australians are great givers! When it comes to generosity, we’re second on the list of a total of 146 countries! ^

The Harding Miller Education Foundation provides scholarships for Year 9 girls in public secondary schools to continue their education, supporting girls with academic potential who are experiencing personal or socioeconomic disadvantage.

At this time of year, the HMEF highlights its work and encourages donations to fund future scholarships. CEO of the Harding Miller Education Foundation, Cara Varian takes a look at many of the myths about donating money to a charity.

Myth 1. ‘A lot of the money donated goes to administration costs.’

Cara: You will have heard people say they don’t give because of concerns about how the money would be used.  They say they’ve heard a lot of the donations go to cover administration. We can assure you that the Harding Miller Education Foundation ensures 100% of all donations go direct to scholarship recipients. The founders cover all administration costs, so all donations are used for scholarships. No donations are used for administration.

  • Myth 2: ‘Only small donations don’t really make a difference.’

Cara: Scholarship donations can be any amount that works for you and they all make a difference. Whatever you can afford to give is appreciated. Your donation can specify a particular school or a particular type of student, including refugee background, rural, urban or out of home care.

  • Myth 3: ‘Giving to ‘education’ sounds vague and is too anonymous.’

Cara: HMEF makes your donation personal. Regular giving donations can be linked to a specific scholar and donors receive bi-annual updates on their girl, her progress, achievements and personal story.

  • Myth 4: ‘Public schools are government funded so girls shouldn’t need extra help through scholarships.’

Cara: Schools are stretched to meet the needs of every student. HMEF recognizes that students need more than a laptop to succeed. Hidden costs such as excursions, uniforms, textbooks etc. still need to be paid for. In addition to the financial and resource support, more than 100 experienced learning professionals volunteer their time and expertise to provide coaching support.  Only girls who meet the criteria for financial hardship and are enrolled in public schools can apply for a scholarship.

  • Myth 5: ‘There are plenty of scholarships that can be applied for, why is HMEF different?’

Cara: Harding Miller Education Foundation offers Australia’s most generous scholarships to female public high school students and specifically focuses on girls with high academic potential and significantly challenging socioeconomic backgrounds. This combined focus is unique to the HMEF.

The scholarships are valued at $20,000 over four years and we don’t just write cheques and hope for the best. Our scholars are provided with a multi-layered support system to make the most of the scholarship.

  • Myth 6: ‘Anyone can get to year 12 if they try hard enough.’

Cara: There are many girls in public schools who are deterred from staying on at school because of socioeconomic disadvantage. They may be in out of home care or live in a household where English is the second language. Those who live in rural or regional Australia or identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may be discouraged from staying on to Year 12.

  • Myth 7: ‘Girls and boys already have the same opportunities in education.’

Cara: The Harding Miller Education Foundation’s mission is to bridge the gap of opportunity for girls within the public school system. We are right behind the aims of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) which aims to support countries to achieve measurable change in girls’ education and gender equality, especially for the most marginalized. Learn about the UN sustainable development goals here.

  • Myth 8: ‘Australian teenagers are well off compared to those in other countries and don’t need extra help.’

Cara: Our scholarship recipients include a wide range of hardships – challenging living conditions, family issues, remote locations and language difficulties. HMEF has a stringent selection process starting with a principal’s recommendation, and our expert selection panel identifies girls who will benefit from the scholarship. The full scholarship includes tools and resources as well as personal coaching and support.

  • Myth 9: ‘If not enough is donated the scholarship recipients will miss out.’

Cara: 75 scholarships every year are secured by the Foundation’s founders, Kim Harding and Irene Miller so once a girl is accepted for a scholarship, she can be confident she will continue to be supported by the scholarship right through to Year 12.  In addition to this we have a multilevel fundraising and donor strategy that supports an expanding number of scholarships every year which are assured by the Foundation as well.

  • Myth 10: ‘Expecting that a donation will change a life is a pretty big call. At Christmas we should focus on our own families, rather than give to others.’

Cara: Every donation is appreciated, no matter how small. In the spirit of giving at Christmas, a donation to HMEF will make a difference in a girl’s life that will give her the opportunity to realise her potential.  HMEF has already supported over 350 girls from more than 130 public schools within Australia. It’s exciting to be part of this foundation. It’s a game changer!

To find out more and make a donation, click here.

Reference:

^The World Giving Index 2018 is published by the international Charities Aid Foundation. It rates charitable giving in 146 countries around the world, placing Australia second to Indonesia when rated on donating money, helping a stranger and volunteering time. Available from: https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/about-us-publications/caf_wgi2018_report_webnopw_2379a_261018.pdf

ByLauren Jenkins

2019 Emerging NFP Organisation Of The Year

An emerging Australian charity focused on creating future female leaders .

“Rewriting the future for girls in need”

ByLauren Jenkins

COVID-19 Update – Executive Director Message

COVID-19 Update