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About Us

Shoalhaven

OUR STORY

The Shoalhaven Education Fund (SEF) was established to provide much needed financial assistance and support to local youth to help them achieve their post high school education, training and vocational aspirations.

SEF is a local foundation of the Country Education Foundation (CEF), a national not-for-profit organisation helping rural and regional youth access education, training and jobs through grants, scholarships, support services and resources.

We recognise that the cost of regional students pursuing their post- high school goals is often much greater than those of their metropolitan counterparts, and that sometimes these costs can be prohibitive. With a passion for seeing rural and regional youth succeed, the SEF fundraises throughout the year and accepts donations from local residents and businesses in order to provide financial grants to students who need an extra helping hand. The funds come directly from your local community – none of it is government funded – celebrating the aspirations of local youth and working to help them achieve these aspirations. It’s our way of saying “we believe in you and want to support your goals”.

OUR COMMITTEE

The Shoalhaven Education Fund Committee is a small, dynamic group of volunteers passionate about the education of our local youth.

Sophie Ray

Chair

Sophie is an experienced Board member and business owner, with a previous career as a corporate lawyer in Sydney and London. Having lived and worked in the beautiful Shoalhaven since 2007, Sophie is passionate about supporting local young people to be able to overcome obstacles unique to regional youth and take up opportunities available to them. She believes that the key to this is education and training opportunities and has been very proudly a part of the SEF since 2012.

Katrina Norwood

Treasurer

Katrina has resided in the Shoalhaven since early childhood and attended schools in Milton/Ulladulla and Bomaderry. Katrina and her husband run an accounting practice in Nowra and their children were raised in the area. She has been involved in many aspects of the local community. Both of her children attended university and Katrina is aware of the importance of giving local youth the opportunities to assist them pursue their academic dreams.

Paul Goodwin

Secretary

Paul has an extensive background in tertiary and vocational education and training, business development, and Community and Regional development. Currently a Senior Project Officer with the NSW Department of Education, Paul works with local high schools on the South Coast and industry employers, to build partnerships for career and work opportunities for young people. Paul is a current Board member of the Country University Centre Southern Shoalhaven and is passionate about increasing education and training opportunities for young people across the region.

Anne Weinert

Committee Member

Anne has both corporate and consulting experience in human resources, leadership development, career planning and executive coaching. Anne grew up in country QLD, and was fortunate to receive scholarship assistance to pursue her secondary and tertiary education in Brisbane and Sydney. Moving to the Shoalhaven a number of years ago, Anne is passionate about helping our local students to gain opportunities that will help them pursue their career dreams.

Dr Noelene Weatherby-Fell

Committee Member

Noelene has spent more than a decade as a teacher and curriculum leader in both secondary and primary schools in city and regional contexts, and nearly three decades in teacher education in regional Universities. Her passion and commitment to education and opportunities to help young people achieve their potential underpin her actions. Noelene moved to the Shoalhaven in 2009, was honoured to be invited to join the SEF committee in 2021, and looks forward to continuing to align her roles at UOW with this important work.

Kate Cranna

Committee Member

The daughter of two public school teachers, Kate attended school in Ulladulla before moving to Sydney to complete her university education. Following a 20+ year career in television, communications and marketing, Kate returned to the South Coast in 2021 with her family. With an appreciation of both the financial and emotional demands that relocating for education places on young people, Kate is particularly passionate about equitable access to resources and opportunities for all youth.

Alana Faust

SEF Alumni Member

Alana is an SEF Alumni and previous grant recipient of the Shoalhaven Education Fund. Having grown up, studied, volunteered and worked on the South Coast, Alana now lives in Narrm, Melbourne. With a passion for youth engagement and community development, Alana has led youth wellbeing and leadership programs in Australia and overseas for over a decade. Alana is committed to creating spaces that ensure young people have a meaningful say in decisions that affect them.

Lauren Allen

Lauren Allen

SEF Alumni Member

Lauren was born and raised in the Shoalhaven. After graduating from Vincentia High School in 2018, Lauren moved to Wollongong to study a Bachelor of Mathematics Education at UOW. Throughout the four years of Lauren’s university degree she was financially supported by SEF. Recently Lauren has completed her degree and accepted a permanent Mathematics Teacher position at a small school in Cowra, NSW. Lauren is committed to seeing quality education delivered to young people across Australia and has a special place in her heart for regional and rural students.

THE CEF FAMILY

The Shoalhaven Education Fund is proudly one of 44 local foundations that make up the Country Education Foundation of Australia network.

Local foundations engage in fundraising to provide local grants and scholarships to youth in their areas. This financial support ranges from $500 to $5,000 per student, per year and helps buy textbooks and laptops for uni students, purchase tools and equipment for apprentices and assists rural and regional youth to relocate to take up career opportunities.

CEF’s national office, based in Orange, NSW, provides financial support, training and resources to this family of local foundations through seed funding, student support resources, volunteer resources, governance and compliance advice, accounting, technology, insurances, event management and advocacy.

CEF also partners with tertiary institutions and corporate and philanthropic organisations across the country to provide additional funding and support to CEF local grant and scholarship recipients.

CEF Australia has tax deductibility 1 status (DGR1), so all donations over $2 are fully tax deductible.

JOIN US!

Volunteers are at the heart of our work. We cannot continue to support rural and regional students undertake post-school education if we don’t have amazing, passionate volunteers.

This is a generally a year-round commitment, and the level of participation required varies between locations and position held within the foundation.

Duties could include:
  • Grant application shortlisting
  • Interviewing
  • Fundraising
  • PR and promotion
  • Student engagement and liaising
  • Office bearer positions: Chair, Treasurer, Secretary etc…
📧 We would love to hear from you
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