A GROUP of locals interested in providing a secure future for the youth of Coleambally and Dalrington Point have been working over the last couple of months on forming a scholarship program.
A local education foundation is now being established to assist young people to achieve their post high school education and career goals, and will be launched in Coleambally at the Coleambally Community Club at 7pm on September 15.
The Coleambally-Darlington Point Country Education Fund (CDPCEF) is community based and aims to provide financial assistance and encouragement to school leavers from Coleambally Central School, or those who live within the areas covered by the postcodes 2706 and 2707.
The fund will acquire support through private and corporate donations and locally based fundraising events, and use this funding to provide grants to local youth on an annual basis.
Administered by a committee of local volunteers, the CDPCEF will assist school leavers as they make the transition from high school by providing non-cash grants to help with expenses such as travel and accommodation, textbooks, course fees, technology resources or course-related equipment – whatever is needed to help them achieve their goals.
The CDPCEF concept is an initiative of the scholarship group and the CREATE project, both of which became aware of the highly regarded and successful Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEFA) and its potential to help youth.
Now a member of Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEFA), the Coleambally-Darlington Point fund will assist local school leavers who satisfy the criteria, regardless of whether they plan to attend university
or TAFE, train in a selected profession or pursue their chosen vocation.
CEFA executive director Jocellin Jansson, who will attend the launch, said the costs for young Australians in rural and remote areas accessing further education and vocation opportunities, as compared to their metropolitan counterparts, was substantially greater and often prohibitive.
“The CDPCEF will provide assistance and encouragement to young people who might not otherwise be able to achieve their goals due to financial constraints,” Ms Jansson said.
“This help will relieve the financial strain on these young people and their families and, essentially, it will convey a strong message of encouragement from their community,”
These non-academically based grants typically range from $500 to $3000 and are paid directly to the goods and service providers once the students provide receipts, or grant recipients will be reimbursed for costs directly linked to them achieving their goals.”
For more information regarding CEFA and the CDPCEF visit www.cef.org.au or contact CDPCEF executive committee members:- Chairmperson Keith Burge, (02 6954 1204, gemkhe@dragnet.com.au), vice chairperson Penny Sheppard (02 6954 9157, ppshep@bigpond.com), secretary Elaine Clarke (0429 366 270, elaine.clarke1@bigpond.com) treasurer Ken Martin (02 6954 4520, colymart@bigpond.net.au) or publicity officer John McFadyen (02 6954 4131).
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