Kat Skull was our presenter this week. She is one of the volunteers for the Ardoch Youth Foundation.

Ardoch is a children’s education charity focused on improving educational outcomes for children and young people in disadvantaged communities.

They partner with schools and early years services to deliver tailored education support programs that aim to increase engagement in education, build aspirations, enhance learning outcomes and increase the confidence of children and young people living in disadvantaged communities. We mobilise community and workplace volunteers to support schools and early childhood services. We also advocate for and seek to influence policy change to reduce inequity in education.

Ardoch has provided education support to children and young people in disadvantaged communities for over 25 years. The work of Ardoch began in 1988 with founder Kathy Hilton OAM’s determination to see a 17-year-old girl experiencing homelessness stay at school and complete her education. Since then, Ardoch has helped thousands of children and young people to stay at school, receive a helping hand with their education and have access to more choices and opportunities in life. 

Ardoch works with thousands of children and young people in schools and early years services in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.

If children lose their early years of education, they never catch them up in later years.

Bendigo Bank Werribee have recently come onboard as a volunteer, partnering with Wyndham Primary School.

The program is in 87 schools, involving 11,700 students, and 26,000 voluntary hours.