On 30 July, The Australian Business and Community Network was thrilled to launch the ABCN Scholarship Foundation at our inaugural dinner which was kindly hosted by KPMG. The sit down dinner which catered for close to one hundred of ABCN’s most senior supporters from business and education was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the establishment of the Foundation.

Building on the success of the National Doug Jukes Memorial Scholarships which has granted 24 scholarships over the past four years, the Foundation will offer financial and mentoring support to talented students facing economic, family or social challenges that are impacting on their study or capacity to pursue their desired tertiary pathway.

Michael Hawker AM will chair the Scholarship Foundation, with five ABCN Council alumni, Paul O’Sullivan, Stephen Fitzgerald, Matthew Quinn, Stephen Porges, David Clarke and Kerry Jukes. The Foundation has already been granted Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status and is aiming to raise significant funding to extend the number of scholarships on offer. Scholarships can be named to acknowledge individuals or to be granted in a particular discipline or subject area.

We are very grateful to our generous supporters who have enabled us to provide the following twelve scholarships in 2013:

• Navitas Education Trust (six scholarships)
• Founders Scholarships (two scholarships)
• Doug Jukes Memorial Scholarship – KPMG
• Norton Rose Fulbright Indigenous Student Scholarship
• PWC CEO Luke Sayers Scholarship for Victorian students;  and
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia Scholarship

Scholarship winners will receive $4,000 over Years 11 and 12 ($2,000 per year) and $3,000 in the first year of tertiary education. Students will also have access to mentoring, coaching and alumni activities. Scholarships will be available to all students endorsed by their Principals who meet the scholarship criteria and selection will be by a panel of educators and Foundation members.

Applications opened on 4 August 2013 and will close on 10 October 2013. The Foundation selection panel will make their selections and winners will be announced at a function in Sydney on 20 November 2013.

To find out more about the ABCN Scholarship Foundation, application process and donations please visit our Foundation page.

Alternatively you can contact Carey Badcoe, CEO, ABCN Scholarship Foundation at carey.badcoe@abcn.com.au