Current Scholarships
The Public Education Foundation provides scholarships which complement the work of teachers and enrich the education of public education students. Current scholarships include:
- Stellar Astronomy for Girls - aims to help retention of female students in year 11 and 12 science courses
- Friends of Zainab - supports refugee students to finish years 11 and 12 or early tertiary study
- Conservatorium High School Scholarships - helps talented musicians attend the Conservatorium High School
- SCC IMP Equity Fund Scholarship
- Joan and David Williams Scholarship Fund
- Marrickville Area Scholarship Fund
- Developed using expert advice
- Evidence based and evaluated
- Sustainable and transferrable
- Culturally appropriate and best practice
- Increase attendance and graduation rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders
- Fund programs to decrease the isolation experienced by young people in remote areas
- Students from disadvantaged backgrounds cover the basic extra 'costs' of years 11 and 12
- Talented students from western and south-western Sydney in their transition to tertiary education.
Stellar Astronomy Scholarships for Girls began during the International year of Astronomy in 2009. The scholarships are intended to encourage and support girls studying physics in public schools in years 11 and 12. Each scholarship is valued at up to $4,000 and includes:
- Two cash payments at the beginning of years 11 and 12
- Tasco astronomical telescope
- A week’s work experience at the Sydney Observatory
- A course in building and using the Tasco telescope
- A personal teacher mentor to support the student in her studies
- Remote telescope site access to a telescope on Mt Joy in New Mexico, USA
- A copy of Planishere and the 2010 Australian Skyguide
- Year 11 and 12 physics textbooks
- Books: The Life and Times of the Telescope and Why is Uranus Upside Down?
- A laptop from Lenovo
- Membership to the Sutherland Astronomical Society
Twelve scholarships were awarded by her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, at a ceremony at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on 22 March 2010.
The Foundation is very grateful to the sponsors who generously supported the Stellar Scholarships: NSW Department of Education and Training, Teach NSW Public Education, Power House Museum, Person Publishers, Lenovo, Sutherland Astronomical Society, Tasco and the Astronomical Society of Australia Inc
Friends of Zainab Scholarships
Friends of Zainab scholarships were established in 2002 to enable a young asylum seeker, Zainab Kaabi, to complete her schooling at Holroyd High School. Since then, the fund has supported Zainab and other refugee students at Holroyd High School and the Holroyd High School Intensive English Centre in their school education and at university.
Read more about Zainab Kaabi and Nahid Karimi, two of our Friends of Zainab scholarship winners here.
