Current projects
The Aspire Foundation 2011
The Aspire Foundation has been working in partnerships with community organisations around Australia for ten years now by assisting disadvantaged groups and individuals to access vocation education and training. In 2011, the Aspire Foundation is proud to support the following organisations in delivering much needed programs and services to their communities.The Australian Quadriplegic Association Victoria (AQA) http://www.aqavic.org.au
AQA Victoria Ltd (AQA) was established over 20 years ago by a group of people with quadriplegia who saw a need for improved access to information, support and employment opportunities for people who have acquired a high level spinal cord injury. Today, AQA continues to provide individualised services to people with spinal cord injuries, community education about injury prevention. AQA also works towards building a positive awareness of the capacity of people with spinal cord injury.
The Aspire Foundation is proud to support AQA in delivering their latest project, Discovering the Power in Me: Creating a Future of Strength and Hope after Spinal Cord Injury, in 2011. This project aims to empower young men who have recently acquired a spinal cord injury to seek out the tools and resources needed to reconstruct their lives post-injury and to find a new sense of self-fulfilment and inner strength after such a traumatic and life-changing experience. AQA is running these workshops from April through to December 2011 in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. This project will help connect young men living with spinal cord injuries with much needed services, as well as with others in their community through shared experiences of spinal cord injury.
Aspire is looking forward to hearing of the outcomes of the Discovering the Power in Me project in the coming months.
Ardoch Youth Foundation http://www.ardoch.asn.au/
Ardoch Youth Foundation was established in 1988 as a non-for-profit organisation that supports young people to stay in school by connecting disadvantaged youth and their families with much needed services, resources and programs. Ardoch advocates on behalf of young people on issues affecting equal access to quality education and works closely with corporate, community and government bodies to maximise educational opportunities and outcomes for disadvantaged youth.
The Aspire Foundation has been supporting Ardoch since 2006 by granting annual scholarships for disadvantaged youth to purchase textbooks and other learning materials needed for their education. We are proud to continue this tradition in 2011 and carry on supporting Ardoch in their mission to secure excellent education for all of Australia's youth.
Kids Under Cover http://www.kuc.org.au
Established in 1989, Kids Under Cover is a non-for-profit organisation that responds to the needs of young people at risk of homelessness as a result of family conflict, overcrowding within the family home, poverty, drug and alcohol dependence and other issues. As part of their work, Kids Under Cover seeks to re-engage disadvantaged youth with education services by providing scholarships to assist in the return to school after an extended period of absence.
The Aspire Foundation has been supporting Kids Under Cover to provide these much needed scholarships since 2006. As housing affordability hits crisis point in Victoria, our support is needed more than ever. The Aspire Foundation is proud to continue to support Kids Under Cover to assist disengaged youth to reach their potential in 2011 through education scholarships.
The Onemda Association http://www.onemda.com.au/
Onemda was established in 1969 as a non-for-profit organisation which aims to provide ongoing support to adults with intellectual disabilities living in our communities. Onemda runs a variety of programs, workshops and services to assist intellectually disabled people with their education and training needs, social and personal development, experiences in the arts and crafts, establishing social connections and runs recreational activities.
In 2011, Onemda is commencing a new program called Transitions - Pathways which will involve an intensive skills development program that seeks to support young people with intellectual disabilities to better transition between school and further education or employment. This program aims to increase community engagement with young intellectually disabled adults as well as to encourage greater independence and community integration through a series of targeted workshops. The Aspire Foundation is proud to support the Transitions - Pathways project in 2011 and is looking forward to learning of the outcomes of Onemda's latest initiative in the coming months.
Rockdale Community Services http://www.rockdalecommunity.websyte.com.au
Rockdale Community Services is a non-for-profit organisation which provides a range of services to the Rockdale community in NSW which aim to connect people with their community, encourage learning and growth and support people to maintain their dignity, independence and self-worth. Rockdale runs several programs and services which seek to alleviate disadvantage within the Rockdale community through increased community engagement and participation.
The Aspire Foundation has been supporting Rockdale to deliver a range of community-based programs and projects since 2008. We are proud to continue this tradition in 2011 by supporting Rockdale to deliver a suite of pre-employment and work preparation workshops for refugees living in the Rockdale community. These workshops, which will be held in Bankstown, Liverpool and Rockdale, aim assist refugees to develop generic skills such as resume writing, job application and interview skills with a view to enhance their employability and encourage integration into the local community.
Aspire is looking forward to learning of the outcomes of these pre-employment workshops in the coming months.
TAFE SA http://www.tafesa.edu.au
The Aspire Foundation has been supporting students studying at TAFE SA since 2002 by providing scholarships for disadvantaged students to assist them in gaining the qualifications they need to enhance their employability and work opportunities. In 2011, Aspire is proud to continue its support of TAFE SA students by granting five scholarships to students undertaking a wide variety of qualifications. We look forward to learning of how scholarship recipients are faring in the coming months.