Education a winner in Canon grants
Education projects were the finalists in three of Canon’s Community grants this year for projects supporting robotics and STEM, vulnerable girls and survivors of slavery.
Elonera Montessori Robotics is a robotics team at a small independent school. They’re passionate about promoting STEM education and opportunities, especially among groups with a history of underrepresentation or marginalisation.
They applied for the Canon Grant to facilitate a series of free, hands-on robotics sessions for children and young adults who are refugees and/or living with disability. The Grant would provide cameras, projectors and printers to help participants get the most out each session, including photographs and recordings that can act as tools for ongoing education. The sessions aim to connect communities and make STEM learning more inclusive.
Life Changing Experiences Foundation is a not-for-profit group offering mentoring and educational programs to girls who experience disadvantage or trauma. They applied for the Grant to support their No Limits 4 Girls program, a workshop series for vulnerable Year 7 girls. These workshops have seen positive outcomes but still rely on time-consuming methods like written assessments.
The Grant would update workshop tools and capabilities, including better projection and increased mobility for visiting schools. Workshop facilitators would also train participants to operate equipment themselves and contribute to the kind of digital storytelling that can deepen social connections and awareness.
The Freedom Hub runs a Sydney café whose profits finance Survivor School, a free program for survivors of slavery. Since many slavery survivors experience language barriers or symptoms of trauma and may not have a support network, the Freedom Hub applied for the Grant to update a workshop called “My Community.” The course teaches skills like navigating public transport or visiting a library.
The Grant would provide cameras and equipment that participants would use to document their learnings and enjoy a creative outlet. At the end of the course, participants would compile their photography in a presentation, helping build work-readiness.