Aurora Education Foundation bolsters offering, integrates Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation Programs

The Aurora Education Foundation (Aurora) has announced that the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation (RSIEF) Scholarships and Bursaries will be integrated into Aurora’s suite of programs. This restructure, driven by a collective mission to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to realise their full education potential, will see Aurora and RSIEF combine by RSIEF dissolving as a separate organisation.

Aurora and RSIEF have worked closely together for more than 20 years, with Aurora providing financial support, administrative resources and strategic advice to assist RSIEF successfully run its Scholarship and Bursary Programs. The strength of this relationship is reflective of the decision to restructure, where Aurora will be tasked with continuing to preserve and celebrate the Roberta Sykes legacy.

“We have always believed in the phenomenal potential of Indigenous students and the importance of building Indigenous leadership through education. These were core values of Roberta Sykes, who was not only a fierce advocate for Indigenous rights in Australia, but also a courageous ally, who was deeply committed to promoting Indigenous education opportunities through overseas study,” said Leila Smith, CEO of Aurora. “The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation has demonstrated unwavering dedication to upholding Roberta’s legacy of activism, courage and a grassroots commitment to change, and we look forward to honouring this legacy long into the future.”

RSIEF recognised the value and opportunities that would come from working more closely with Aurora as a single organisation. Aurora’s experience collaborating with RSIEF and successfully operating its own programs for more than a decade demonstrates a continued ability to work with community, deliver meaningful outcomes through support of Indigenous students, and capitalise on opportunities for funding. This experience will contribute to the sustained impact and potential of the RSIEF Programs under the Aurora umbrella. With Aurora operating as an Indigenous organisation, it was also a natural evolution of RSIEF to become Indigenous owned and managed.

“By coming together, our objective is to build a strong, Indigenous-led educational organisation,” said Peter Waters, Chair of RSIEF. “Together with the Charlie Perkins Scholarship Trust, we have supported more than 130 Indigenous students through the overseas study program, our scholarships and bursaries. That the combined organisation will be lead from an alumni from this program, Leila Smith, neatly illustrates why this merger is the next step in realising Roberta’s vision.”

Over the next 12 months, Aurora will work closely with RSIEF’s Chair, Peter Waters, to ensure the restructure is as successful as possible. Aurora will continue to collaborate with RSIEF alumni, who will contribute to interview panels for the RSIEF Programs and the Aurora Board. The RSIEF Programs, including scholarships for post-graduate study at a leading overseas university, and bursaries for mid-career short-course programs at a leading overseas university or other educational institution, will continue to be core offerings at Aurora.