First Nations Scholarship
Ivanhoe Grammar School is thrilled to launch the First Nations Scholarship for students entering the School in 2022. This program has been three years in the making and made possible through a special partnership with the Aborigines Advancement League. Principal, Gerard Foley announced the program to the community on Thursday 7 October.
‘From 2022, the Ivanhoe Grammar School First Nations Scholarship will provide the opportunity for a number of Indigenous students to attend Ivanhoe Grammar School each year. As a School, we have developed our Reconciliation Action Plan, our continual Acknowledgement of Country and the ongoing recognition of First Nations people and culture as a way of enriching all our lives. Providing educational opportunities for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students interested in attending our school, is our next step,’ he said.
Director of Co-Curricular and the Chair of our Reconciliation Action Plan Committee, Chris Branigan, has been integral to making this unique program a reality.
‘Ivanhoe Grammar School respects, honours and appreciates the diversity, culture and lessons that can be learned from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. As such, we are pleased to have partnered with the Aborigines Advancement League to initiate the unique First Nations Scholarship Program,’ he said.
What makes this program so unique is that Indigenous students will be residing at the Gladys Nicholls Hostel in Northcote under the direct care of the Aboriginal hostel parents Andrew and Cara Taylor who operate the facility. Andrew and Cara, who have two young children of their own, know how important it is to create a safe and secure family environment for students, a home away from home.
‘It’s hard enough for kids to leave home and their family. That’s why it’s so important they can come here where they feel safe and have a family environment,’ said Cara Taylor.
We encourage you to spend a couple of minutes watching the accompanying video, to gain a sense of where we have come from with this project, who is involved and why we, as a School, believe that it is so worthwhile.
Further information about the First Nations Scholarship Program can be found by contacting us at scholarships@ivanhoe.com.au or phone 9490 1877.
