About Us
Educate
Encourage
Support
Guide
Empower
Our Mission
Improving education outcomes for young people in our community.
Equal Ed is a social enterprise that aims to make quality education and academic support accessible to all. This means proceeds from our tutoring and tailored school-based services helps further our community work.
Together with local government and other non-profits, we deliver services and programs around education support and youth empowerment to ensure young people can reach their full potential.
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Why we do it
In Australia, those living in the bottom 25% of wealth are only half as likely to complete a university degree compared to those living in the top 25%. (AIHW, 2019)
Globally 1 in 5 children aged 6 - 17 are not in school. That’s equivalent to 263 million people missing out on education opportunities. (UNESCO, 2018)
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We don't think that's right.
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And we're doing something about it.
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All our programs are guided by our 5 values that all students should:​
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Feel encouraged and driven in our programs;
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Be supported both academically and developmentally by our program staff;
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Be guided and instilled with a passion to learn, and
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Be empowered to use their knowledge to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.
Our Journey
February 2016
Equal Ed was founded.
Our first program was a free homework support service run by volunteers.
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We assisted 20 students from refugee backgrounds.
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That program still exists today and had over 100 enrolled students across 2 venues at the start of 2020
July 2019
Project work with local government.
We began working with local councils for our homework programs in late 2018.
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However, it was in July 2019 that we were given our first opportunity to design and implement a community strengthening project with Brimbank City Council.
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With funding from Melbourne Airport we ran a series of workshops through our Young Change-Makers Forum and Future Leaders Program.
August 2018
Schools programs established.
With our experience running community programs, we expanded to providing similar services to schools.
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In addition to academic support, we also developed and ran study skills and personal development workshops for high school students.
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In 2019-2020 , over 500 students attended our workshops.
Current Day
Our impact today and beyond.
Equal Ed continues to adapt to the changing needs of our clients and communities.
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In 2020, we transitioned all our programs (both free and paid) to an online module and will continue to outreach to our community members to ensure those who need it can access our support services.
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A mentoring program with Wyndham City Council is also being developed for late 2020.
Founder's Statement
Jeffrey Lai
Founder of Equal Ed
“Equal Ed was founded on the understanding that holistic education can often extend beyond school hours and the typical classroom setting.
We believe that everyone should have access to quality support and guidance that they need to achieve their goals, regardless of background.
If you have the drive to succeed, we’ll help you get there.”