$1M philanthropic partnership gives education research significant boost

A new $1.05 million three-year philanthropic grant from Futurity Education Foundation to Victoria University will accelerate much needed research into educator wellbeing through the upcoming Centre of Impact for Thriving Childhoods.

The Foundation’s largest philanthropic grant to date will support the Centre’s work on improving teacher wellbeing and developing stronger mentoring pathways to help teachers stay in the profession. This will be led by Centre Director, Professor Kim Cornish AM.

“Evidence shows more of our teachers are leaving the profession early in their careers, many within the first five years. With Futurity’s support, we can get to the root cause and develop a system to support, nurture and grow this valuable profession. Well-resourced and empowered teachers and school communities can have a profound impact on children’s learning and development,” Professor Cornish said.

Over the first year of the partnership, alongside the research, Professor Cornish’s team will be working on the development and testing of toolkits for targeted mentoring for pre-service primary and early childhood educators, to support them through their first years of working.

Chair of Futurity’s Education Foundation, Dr Jacqueline Jennings, said the investment reflects Futurity’s commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of education in Australia.

“This partnership builds on Futurity’s proud history of championing teachers. We are excited to extend that legacy by supporting research and innovation focused on strengthening the teaching profession, recognising the vital role teachers play in the lives and educational outcomes of young people,” Dr Jennings, said.

VU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Impact, Professor Andy Hill, said the investment reflects not only the significance of the issue but the expertise at VU to deliver solutions with impact.

“Improving access to learning and supporting a vibrant and robust teaching workforce requires investment and evidence. This is where good research comes in. Professor Cornish and her team are the best people for this, and I look forward to seeing how this important work progresses,” Professor Hill said.
 

Background: Futurity Investment Group Group provides innovative tax effective solutions to help fund life-long education. Since 1974, Futurity has supported the education journey of over 560,600 Australian and New Zealand beneficiaries and returned more than $4.14 billion in education benefits.