"I wanted to prove that you can do any job you wish if you are persistent and willing to learn, it doesn’t matter who you are." 🤩👏

We are thrilled to introduce you to Claire Miller, a CEF Orange & District grant recipient, who has also been awarded a @vertoau - CEF Scholarship to help her as she undertakes an apprenticeship with @on_trac_ag_ 🚜🧰

She is working in Orange and loving the opportunity and experience she is gaining. However, she needs to travel to Wagga Wagga to complete the study component of her apprenticeship. The costs quickly add up, and she is grateful for the support to help ease the financial burden.

We are proud to share her story during National Reconciliation Week. We asked Claire what this year`s theme, ‘Be A Voice For Generations,’ means to her: "It is a great opportunity to have greater diversity in the workplace, community we live in and in our everyday lives." 🙏🙌

#blog link in Bio.

#cefaus #countryeducation #countryeducationfoundation #NRW2023 #apprenticeship #scholarship #voiceforgenerations ...

Each year, we recognise our CEF Volunteers with the Katie Walker Outstanding Service Award. 🏆🏆

It is fitting to announce the winner of this award during National Volunteer Week, particularly with the theme this year of `The Change Makers.`

Katie Walker is a founding Director of CEF, and continues to volunteer with CEF Yass. Her passion for volunteering and appreciation of those who give their time to CEF makes her the perfect namesake for this honour.

We are thrilled to announce Robyn Phillips of CEF Gwydir as this year`s Outstanding Service Award winner! Robyn has been volunteering for CEF and making a profound difference in the lives of regional youth for over ten years, always going above and beyond to ensure the success of students and of her local foundation. 🙏🤩

Thank you Robyn, for your dedication to ensuring regional youth receive an education and can thrive. Your passion and care make you a very deserving recipient of this accolade! 👏🙌

#blog link in Bio.

#NVW2023 #TheChangeMakers #cefeducation #cefaustralia #thankyou #volunteering #regionalaustralia #cefgwydir #cefyass @volunteeringaustralia ...

As the weather well and truly turns to Winter, we came across this photo taken by our wonderful Donna from the national office, and we are sharing it with the hope it warms you up! 😜☀️

It was taken last year on a family trip... And also happens to be the location of one of our local foundations.

So, not only is it a little piece of daydream inspiration, it allows us to give a shout-out to the fantastic volunteers of the Hastings Education Fund! They do an amazing job in their community, and support an incredible number of students each year. 🙏🙏

We are so lucky to have beautiful scenery and wonderful volunteers across regional Australia.

#cefaus #countryeducation #countryeducationfoundation
#regionalaustralia #hastings #portmacquarie #volunteers #dreamingofsunshine #pictureperfect ...

Now that you are an adult, are you finding it hard to keep track of all the different accounts and numbers you need?🙋🙋‍♀️

MyGov is a simple and secure way to access government services online in one place.

This includes services like Centrelink, Medicare and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) - it can make managing all this information which can be overwhelming, just a little easier!

You will need to set up an account through the website first, and once that is done, you can also download and use the MyGov app.

To get started, visit:
https://my.gov.au/

For more advice, information and tips on how to survive and thrive this year, check out the #makeitpossible link in our bio! 👍🤩

#makeitpossible #getitdone #surviveandthrive #cefalumni #mygov ...

"I`d like to thank my local foundation for the assistance. Keep doing what you are doing and helping people." 👍🙏

This incredible photo of Thomas York, who was supported by Maranoa Regional Education Group in Queensland - a member of the CEF network - is a great representation of the distances and barriers regional students must overcome when accessing post-school education... and of the challenges our communities face all too often.

His words of gratitude? They remind us just how important our volunteers are and the difference they make by being willing to give their time.

That spirit of giving and the need to help others enables our students and communities to rise, no matter the obstacle. 😍😍

#regionalmatters #riseup #nochallengetoobig #community #volunteers #MaranoaRegionalEducationGroup #maranoa #cefaus #regoinalaustralia
#countryeducation #countryeducationfoundation ...

One of the questions we often get asked is: `"How many of the students supported return to a regional area?" 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️

We don`t know the exact numbers on this... However, for the first time at the end of 2022, we asked our students if they would like to return to a regional area after they complete post-school study, and we were so excited to see the data reveal this number.

Our vision at CEF is to support rural and regional youth to access the services and resources they need to maintain their wellbeing and fulfil their personal potential, so they are able to contribute fully to the vibrant and thriving communities in which they live and the broader society.

When we see this statistic, it fills us with the hope this vision can be realised. 🤩🤩

#cefaus #countryeducation #countryeducationfoundation #vibrantandthriving #regionalmatters ...

"One of the most important things is not to doubt yourself! It`s really easy to feel like an outsider or like you
don`t belong at university, particularly when there is a large metropolitan population of students and not many
rural students. Trust in your abilities and remind yourself of why you are here." 🤩🤩

So often, regional youth have to move away from home to undertake post-school education - and that can make anyone feel out of place, let alone a young person doing it for the first time.

A big shout out to Olivia, who is supported by #CEFCootamudra as she studies a Bachelor of Heath Science (pre-medicine) at @ouranu and wants to remind you that you are amazing... and not alone if you feel a little lost. 🙏🙏

#cefaus #countryeducation #countryeducationfoundation #makeitpossble #cefalumni #doctor #nodoubt #cootamundra #cootamundrahighschool ...