RISE FAQs

RISE is a new major initiative by Aurora to redefine Indigenous success in education and help shape the future of Australia’s education system. RISE will generate unprecedented evidence about what works in Indigenous education through the delivery and evaluation of programs that enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students to define and pursue their version of success with academic, cultural and wellbeing support.

The Indigenous-led RISE team will work closely with approximately 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students over five years to understand the best ways to encourage their own version of success through academic, cultural and wellbeing support. The extensive data that results from RISE will establish a clear link between specific types of support and Indigenous student outcomes. This will be fundamental to improving educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, building a pipeline of Indigenous leaders, and creating a platform for Indigenous-led advocacy and reform.

Despite significant investment, Australia’s education system has failed to meet the needs of Indigenous students, as demonstrated by significant disparities in education outcomes. A strong evidence base is needed to inform improvements in a consistent and sustained way. There is a significant lack of robust evidence on ‘what works’ in Indigenous education. This lack of evidence has many negative consequences, including continued investment into programs that produce limited impact, and policy making that does not align with community need.

We know that if Indigenous students see themselves in the design of the education system, they will be more likely to resonate with it, engage with it, take ownership of it and succeed within it. RISE is one step to making this a reality.

The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) is one of Australia’s largest philanthropic organisations, and among the top 50 philanthropic foundations globally. The PRF is committed to identifying the root causes of disadvantage and implementing strategic solutions to empower communities. It looks to forge long-term collaborative partnerships with peers and fund scalable projects to grow capacity and enable lasting change. More information can be found here: www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au

The Paul Ramsay Foundation has committed committed a multi-million dollar, multi-year investment to help Aurora deliver RISE. This significant, long-term commitment is a testament to the potential of RISE, and the ways in which it can improve educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and create a pipeline of Indigenous leadership. Aurora also receives funding from other key partners including the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Their support makes RISE possible.

Indigenous data sovereignty refers to the right of Indigenous peoples to determine what type of data is collected about them, how it is collected and how it is used. At Aurora, we proudly support and endorse the right of Indigenous peoples to data sovereignty and commit to promoting this right through Indigenous data governance.

RISE will be co-designed with Indigenous data governance and advocacy experts, as well as Indigenous communities and key members of Aurora’s team. This will not only ensure that the initiative is grounded in Indigenous concepts of success in education, but will also demonstrate how Indigenous-led data can be used as a tool to promote Indigenous self-determination.

Yes. Aurora will publish regular reports regarding the progress of RISE, how the funds have been used and the impact of RISE on student outcomes to date.

Yes! While the Paul Ramsay Foundation grant is an important step in helping Aurora to shape the future of Australia’s education system, it is only one step in a long journey. We will continue to need your support to create the most impactful and sustainable change possible.

Find out more about how you can donate here: https://aurorafoundation.com.au/donate.

Absolutely. Please reach out to Peita Dixon, Head of Development via peita.dixon@Aurorafoundation.com.au for more information and to receive your fundraising toolkit.

No. While both have been beneficiaries of Paul Ramsay’s estate, they have a fundamentally different purpose, are governed by separate boards, and operate independently from each other.

For more information about RISE, Aurora or the PRF grant, please email us at info@aurorafoundation.com.au