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| Adam Smith | | | Chief Executive Officer |
|  In November 2005, Adam Smith joined Education Foundation Australia as the National Program Manager and has recently been appointed the Foundation's Chief Executive Officer. Adam brings diverse experience developed through his work with young people and communities in Australia, the United States and South East Asia.
Adam is founder of ‘Directing Potential’ – a social enterprise developed to maximise the potential of Australia’s youth. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Foundation for Young Australians, a Director of the International Youth Foundation and in 2003 held the position of Australia’s Youth Representative to the United Nations General Assembly.
Adam has held a number of positions within government, including the role of Senior Program Officer in the area of Student Wellbeing within the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Adam has worked with Sydney’s Area Consultative Committee facilitating the development of dynamic regional development projects to be funded through the federal government’s Regional Partnership Program.
A passionate advocate for the rights, responsibilities and ideals of Australians, Adam has presented at a number of national and international conferences on issues such as education reform, corporate social responsibility and mental health. Adam has appeared in a number of professional development videos, has had a range of articles published in leading newspapers, and has spoken on a variety of youth and community issues on radio across Australia.
Adam’s work has been recognized through 3 nominations as Young Australian of the Year and he has been listed as one of Victoria’s 40 most influential people under the age of 40 by ‘The Age’ newspaper. | | | | Julian Waters-Lynch | | | Initiatives Manager |
|  Julian is initiatives manager at the Education Foundation, a role that involves working across all Education Foundation programs finding ways to integrate new opportunities within the core program structure. Julian first joined the Education Foundation in January 2006 working as the ruMAD? program coordinator. During 2006 he wrote a thesis on ruMAD? as a framework for developing imagination, interpersonal and project management skills in young people. He draws experience and inspiration from his background working on community development projects in Thailand and Cambodia, teaching English in China and Mexico and working as a musician in Guatemala, Canada and Australia. | | | | Ros Black | | | Research Manager |
|  Ros Black joined Education Foundation Australia in 2000 as its first Research Manager, assuming responsibility for the implementation of projects to boost the profile and quality of public education. These include a series of high profile summits and research seminars to set new directions for policymakers as well as innovative networks and resources to share and support best practice in schools.
Ros' work is instrumental in positioning Education Foundation Australia as a respected and authoritative voice in public education matters with an independent, whole-of-sector perspective not replicated by any other agency.
Ros has a deep commitment to public education and a passion for creating the best possible opportunities for young people. She brings to Education Foundation Australia many years of experience of teaching and leadership in government schools and higher education as well as 7 years with the Victorian Department of Education & Training informing state and national policy directions. | | | | Dean Delia | | | City Centre Teacher |
|  Dean joined Education Foundation Australia in 2005 as a City Centre teacher. He is one of two teachers directly responsible for delivering and developing the City Centre program. This entails negotiating individual programs with coordinators form participating schools, delivering the program to approximately 100 year 9 and 10 students each week, facilitating student workshops focusing on research skills and managing individual student research group projects.
Dean has worked in secondary schools and has been specifically involved in middle years teaching and curriculum development. During this time, he was able to familiarise himself with the City Centre program.
| | | | Sasee Devaraja | | | IT Coordinator |
|  Sasee has been with Education Foundation Australia since September 2006. His primary focus is to update IT with independent and integrated systems to facilitate a satisfactory work ethic. Consequently, he plans to amalgamate Education Foundation Australia’s projects through available means of technology to provide a secured reliable system.
He has worked previously in tertiary and higher education and departments of industry in government sectors overseas for more than twelve years. His main involvement was in Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation projects in war torn areas, research and development, upgrading IT skill for government employees and skill development for young war victims. | | | | Louisa Ellum | | | National Program Manager |
|  Louisa Ellum joined the Education Foundation in January 2007 as National Programs Manager, bringing with her twelve years of working across the education and training sector. Louisa’s focus will be on the educational, curricular and pedagogical consolidation and strengthening of the current national programs and to drive innovative growth, stakeholder and partner commitment, and the programs’ national profile.
Louisa has worked across the education sector: as a secondary teacher, curriculum manager, teacher-trainer, vocational education manager, editor of professional teaching journals, education writer, project manager and facilitator for the Adult, Community & Further Education sector and the Local Learning and Employment Networks and in research and development roles. Louisa also spent some time in Denmark in 2005 studying enterprise-based learning.
Equity and accessibility to quality education is Louisa’s passion, and she is keen to drive innovation and enterprise, the importance of student-led inquiry in curriculum, and education as the core of every community’s responsibility throughout her work with the Foundation. | | | | Jane Fishburn | | | City Centre Program Coordinator |
| Jane joined Education Foundation Australia in October 2005.
She has worked as a secondary teacher before taking the position as City Centre Program Co-ordinator. Jane has taught in Melbourne and Canberra and has directed many school musicals within her role as a performing arts teacher. She believes in the rewards from working with students in a challenging and engaging way towards goals, highlighting personal and artistic growth.
Jane has also worked as Arts Co-ordinator and Year 9 Curriculum leader, facilitating the introduction a theme based, student led learning aimed at re- engaging students. In 2004, Jane successfully applied for Teacher Professional Leave introducing a Start-Up program at Year 7, addressing transition issues and setting the basis for students taking responsibility for their learning from the beginning of their secondary education.
In her role at The City Centre, she is keen to provide the best opportunities for students to show initiative and creativity in their learning and to take away a renewed energy and responsibility into their future life-long learning. | | | | Josh Levy | | | ruMAD? Program Facilitator |
|  Josh Levy joined the Education Foundation in January 2007 as the ruMAD? Program Facilitator. Josh is responsible for the delivery of ruMAD? in schools across the nation, which involves engaging and empowering young people to enact social change within their school, local or global community.
Josh comes from a diverse background, most recently as a Senior Recreation Coordinator in the disability sector where he developed and implemented recreational and social respite experiences for young people with a disability. With extensive experience and practice engaging young people who come from impoverished backgrounds he has had much success with young people who present with aggressive and anti-social behaviours. Josh thrives on engaging those students and young people who typically fall through the cracks, which provides the drive for his work.
Josh is also a passionate and working musician, as a singer/songwriter Josh frequently performs his original work all over Victoria and is excited about incorporating music into his delivery of ruMAD? Working across a variety of sectors including Not-for-Profit’s, Education & Training and in the Recreation Industry, Josh is looking forward to utilising his eclectic skill set at the Foundation to empower young people to push for social change and to reconnect with their community. | | | | Kath McCann | | | Grants Coordinator |
|  Kath started with Education Foundation Australia when it was known as Small Change, and housed in its Flinders Lane office. It was a small but efficient space and was shared with the wonderful people involved with The Lance Reichstein Foundation.
Varied experiences teaching in both alternative and traditional educational institutions gave Kath wide expertise for the administration and development of best practice grants.
In 1995, Kath was one of the team managing the Best Practice Grants, which later became the Children’s Learning Fund. The energy and enthusiasm generated in these programs was fantastic. Children were turned around by their participation in programs like the Melbourne Show Steers where they grew and managed cattle or tested themselves on the High and Low ropes courses and built their self-esteem and confidence in Homework programs.
Until 2005, Kath administered the Children’s Learning Fund, then took over the administration of Opportunity Scholarships in 2004, and the Department of Housing Scholarship program in 2005.
Kath loves the connection with the teachers, students and donors of the projects funded by Education Foundation Australia, and is committed to creating powerful results for the children involved in these programs. | | | | Sam McCully | | | Operations Manager/Executive Assistant to the CEO |
|  Sam joined the Education Foundation Australia team in July 2006.
Sam brings with her a diverse range of skills and experience working across the community and education sectors. She has undertaken a variety of roles including Volunteer Coordinator, Adult Education Teacher, Integration Aide (supporting students in primary and secondary schools), Recreation Coordinator, Assistant Manager (Women’s Services), Court Support Worker and Community Support Program Coordinator.
Sam’s passion for ensuring that people with a disability, and their families, receive support services that best meet their needs, have been a huge part of her working life.
She has trained, led and supported teams to meet these needs and will continue to have a committed interest in this area.
Sam views her role at Education Foundation Australia as an exciting challenge and looks forward to the diversity her new role will bring. | | | | Kylie McGowan | | | WOW program Coordinator |
|  Kylie McGowan was appointed the National Coordinator of Back To School Day in January 2006. This involves encouraging national participation of public schools and their former student in the Back To School Day event. Kylie is also responsible for our Back To School Day Alumni Strategy to strengthen the sustainability of Back To School Day.
Kylie has a diverse background working across the youth, local government, community, health and not-for-profit sectors. As Captain Starlight at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Kylie was responsible for tapping into the creativity and passions of young people and using Laughter Therapy to assist patients through difficult times.
Kylie has a passion for tapping into what young people love and assisting them to make their dreams and talents into careers. | | | | Meryl Scott | | | City Centre Office Coordinator |
| Meryl Scott joined Education Foundation Australia in 2005 as City Centre Coordinator, responsible for liaising with schools participating in the program and providing support to the City Centre teachers delivering the program.
Meryl has a background working in adult education teaching at a registered training organisation. | | | | Stephen Torsi | | | Communications and Relationships Manager |
| | Stephen originally trained as an actor before putting his training to good use waiting tables. When the big break didn’t materialise a life-changing year of travel led him back to the UK to work in a bookshop which happened to belong to the global corporation Borders. It wasn’t long before Stephen was working in head office managing high profile event and marketing campaigns and hob-knobbing with a whole range of bestselling authors. Whilst at Borders, he instigated a partnership with the National Literacy Trust, which then became his new employer. After two years of project managing a national boys reading campaign Stephen moved to Australia and his current role at the Education Foundation Australia. He is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of literacy and storytelling and believes that everybody should have the right and means to discover their creative potential. | | | | Rhondah Whitaker | | | City Centre Teacher |
|  One of Victoria’s most experienced drama teachers, Rhondah has taught extensively in high schools and at universities, and has been responsible for the training of drama teachers.
Positions include work at Deakin University, The Victorian College of The Arts and Head of Drama at Eltham College, where she devised the drama program from prep through to year twelve.
Rhondah has facilitated programs for the intellectually disabled and terminally ill, which included the joint making of films written by and for patients with HIV/AIDS. |
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