Australian Business and Community Network

10/09/2024

Full STEAM ahead indeed! We love working with Powerhouse Museum and Commonwealth Bank on this project that has seen young people aged 9–14 from primary and high schools across South Western Sydney explore the power of design thinking to tackle real-world issues and discover the positive actions young people can take!

Great to work with students from Barramurra Public School, Greenway Park Public School, Hoxton Park High School, JEHS - John Edmondson High School, Kingsgrove North High School, Kingswood High School, Merrylands High School and Oran Park High School 👏

Full STEAM Ahead is an annual program aimed at inspiring and encouraging young people in school years 5–8.

19/08/2024

📣🌟Talk about learning from the experts! Students from Blacktown Girls High School were mentored in interviewing techniques by a team of HR and Talent Acquisition professionals from Adobe during a recent Interview 2 Impress session. This team clearly know exactly what prospective employers want and were able to share insider tips and practical advice on how to impress during an interview.

15/08/2024

The NAPLAN results showed long-standing educational disadvantage remains entrenched across Australia. Roughly one in three students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who were tested this year will require extra support to achieve basic literacy and numeracy standards.

Research consistently shows social background is a key predictor of educational and future success. We know that education is key for these students to access opportunities and tertiary pathways for long-term meaningful employment and a sustainable income for themselves and their families.

One in three Australian school students is not meeting literacy and numeracy benchmarks, and more than one in ten need additional support, the 2024 NAPLAN results show.

09/07/2024

Our partner schools have shared that Year 9 students can be one of the more complex cohorts to engage, especially the current Year 9 cohort who transitioned to high school during the pandemic. What schools are seeing is persistent challenges with school attendance and engagement.

Given some of these challenges schools are facing, we were very impressed with the group of Year 9 students from Lurnea High School, who recently took part in a four-session Goals program with ABCN member, E&P. Most students had 100% attendance across the four sessions, matched by a fantastic 100% attendance from their mentors. This included one student with a current 50% school attendance rate. When asked what made her come to Goals each week, she replied 'my mentor', saying 'Thank you for being there with me throughout this program and listening'.

All of the students visibly grew more confident over the four-week program, feeling increasingly comfortable with their mentors and the office environment as the weeks progressed. A fantastic 93% of students reported that they knew how their strengths related to the business world, compared to 29% before the program.

A huge thank you to all the E&P mentors who were dedicated, patient and engaging, demonstrating that the power of showing up consistently can have such a positive effect on a young person.

05/07/2024

Student confidence and understanding of design thinking skyrocketed at our recent Future Thinkers session with JP Morgan. Prior to the program, 38% of students reported that they understood the principles of design thinking, and 62% reported confidence in developing creative solutions. Post-session, these numbers rose to 100% due in no small part to the dedication of our mentors.

A massive thank you to JP Morgan and Kogarah High School for taking part in the program and supporting ABCN.

03/07/2024

The overwhelming themes that emerged from the recent Accelerate online sessions held in early June were the three C’s – Communication, Consistency and Connection.

Scholar and mentor pairings across all three years of the national Accelerate cohort discussed the 3 C's during the breakout sessions focused on peer mentoring. The session also included inspiration from the 2nd and 3rd year scholars and mentors who shared their experiences and advice with their 1st year counterparts.

In the second half of these sessions attendees were introduced to Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and discussed how these habits might support them in setting and achieving goals.

This topic was incredibly well received with 100% of scholars reporting that they understand how the 7 Habits can help them achieve their goals compared to just 21% scholars pre-session.

In their evaluations 96% of scholars and 90% of mentors agreed that exploring the 7 Habits and how they relate to goal setting was relevant and helpful. Scholars also reported that their level of comfort with ‘connecting with and developing relationships with new people’ increased during the session (from 58% pre-session to 100% post-session).

01/07/2024

'The most useful thing I learnt was being able to confidently sit through a series of questions and answer them to the best of my ability.' - Student

132 kilometres southeast of Melbourne at Watersure's Wonthaggi desalination plant, ABCN ran two successful Interview 2 Impress programs with students from Bass Coast College. Student confidence in understanding how to prepare for interviews skyrocketed from 33% before the program to 96% post-program.

In Australia, 70% of low socio-economic status schools are located in regional, rural and remote areas. ABCN believe that where a student lives should not be a barrier to opportunity. Efforts to level the playing field would not be possible without the support of member companies like Watersure who are committed to giving back.

Post-program, a Watersure mentor spoke of the importance of interview skills: 'It’s rewarding to increase the confidence of students before going for an interview. Interviews can be hard, so its important to practice, practice, practice.'

Thanks Watersure for your support of rural, regional, and remote students.

28/06/2024

'It’s a really fun opportunity to engage with growing generations & students to share your lens on technology as students share theirs' - Mentor

We are thrilled to share the incredible impact of our Innovate program with students from Merrylands High School. This success wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our amazing mentors from Accenture, Adobe and Westpac.

Mentors from these three companies brought their energy, passion, and extensive STEM expertise to the table, creating an unforgettable experience for students, with interest in STEM skyrocketing from 42% pre-program to 92%, and desire to continue studying STEM subjects going from 17% to 67%.

One student said, 'the most important thing I learnt from my mentor is to never give up and pursue your dream.'

A huge thank you to Accenture, Adobe, and Westpac for inspiring the next generation of STEM!

26/06/2024

Students from Gorokan High School on the New South Wales Central Coast made the trip down the M1 to visit Microsoft's office in the Sydney C*D as part of Aspirations, the second program in ABCN's three-year mentoring curriculum for First Nations students.

11 mentors from Microsoft ANZ worked with the students both virtually and face-to-face as part of the three-session program, which aims to familiarise students with the working world and equip them with the skills to build a successful career.

As an exciting treat, the students had the opportunity to record a video message for Tennis legend Ash Barty, courtesy of their amazing mentors.

Thanks to Microsoft for taking part in the program!

24/06/2024

7 days left to donate to our 2024 End of Financial Year Campaign! We are aiming to achieve Equal Opportunities, Limitless Futures!

Join us in creating a future where every young person has access to education, opportunities and pathways to success regardless of background or circumstance. Your support is not just about charity or goodwill—it's about justice and equity.

Don’t delay donate before June 30 to have your donation matched by the Carla Zampatti Foundation: https://equal-opportunities-limitless-futures-abcn-2024-eofy-appeal.raiselysite.com/