Telstra Foundation: Three million dollars for social innovation

The Telstra Foundation has announced its $3 million commitment in grants over the next three years to projects supporting social innovation in Australia.

Telstra Chairman, Geoff Booth said funding had been given to projects benefitting children and young people experiencing social and geographical isolation to help them reach their potential, enrich their social connections and build their sense of belonging.

“Social Innovation grants give Australian non-profit organisations the opportunity to implement a range of community initiatives,” Mr Booth said.

The Telstra Foundation is supporting eight new socially innovative, community-based initiatives across Australia that use technology to promote social inclusion and connection.

“Social innovation is about using your imagination to improve the lives of people in our communities – and the Telstra Foundation supports this creative thinking,” he said.

Over the next three years the Telstra Foundation will support the following initiatives that focus on education, health and wellbeing:

* $450,000 to Australian Childhood Foundation’s Calmer and Connected Kids Program.
* $450,000 to Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience’s Engaging the Next Generation Project.
* $426,312 to Autism SA’s iModelling Project.
* $259,526 to Napranum Preschool PaL Group’s Virtual Training Literacy Program.
* $482,000 to National Centre of Indigenous Excellence’s Community of Excellence Project.
* $150,000 to Orygen Youth Health Research Centre’s Horyzons Project.
* $450,000 to Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for Children WA (on behalf of First Voice) for the Sound Connections Project.
* $282,015 to Football United’s ‘Connecting the Disconnected’ Project.

Background on the projects:

* Australian Childhood Foundation will develop an interactive software application to support early intervention therapeutic techniques for abuse-related trauma.
* Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience will create a multimedia rich resource bank for all Indigenous kids to build the scale of the YouTube AIME channel and develop an interactive mentor training DVD.
* Autism SA’s iModelling project (TFiP) will develop a video modelling mobile app that will connect children with autism and their families for improved wellbeing.
* Napranum Preschool PaL Group’s Virtual Training project will enhance the Parents and Learning (PaL) literacy program for Indigenous young people through ICT.
* National Centre of Indigenous Excellence’s Community of Excellence Project will develop online resources in support of NCIE’s programs.
* Orygen Youth Health Research will design a web-based and mobile interactive tool for relapse prevention and promotion of social recovery in young people with psychosis.
* Telethon Speech & Hearing Centre for Children is leading an Australian-first research project investigating developmental outcomes for deaf children, culminating in an early intervention best practice model.
* Football United’s Connecting the Disconnected Project empowers disadvantaged youths through technology, online resources and communication training to showcase their contribution to their community.

About the Telstra Foundation:
The most precious gift we can give our children is the ability to connect and to feel a sense of belonging. That’s why the Telstra Foundation funds projects that connect children and young people to their communities and to each other. As the cornerstone of Telstra’s community investment strategy, the Telstra Foundation focuses on securing our children’s future for tomorrow - the projects we support must aim to make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of young Australians. In summary:

* $35,050,353 has been granted since 2002
* 6,280 projects have been supported since 2002
* 637 projects were supported in 2009/10
* $4,569,620 was committed in 2009/10