Yes, Stars Foundation is proudly overseen by an Indigenous-led Board of Directors and of the 200+ Stars employees across Australia, around 75% are Indigenous.
Founder and CEO, Andrea Goddard, established Stars Foundation in 2015 because of the growing gender inequity in funding for mentoring programs supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Significant investment had been directed into a national mentoring support program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys, Clontarf Foundation, however to date there had been no matching investment in a comparable program for the education support and development of girls.
Before founding Stars Foundation, Andrea spent a decade at Clontarf Foundation, where she managed the development of its operations across Australia during a period of unprecedented growth.
The Stars Foundation program is specifically tailored to meet the needs of First Nations girls and young women and focuses on four pillars during the school years, designed to improve health and education outcomes for primary and Secondary school students.
These include:
- Education, Training and Employment – encourages active engagement in education and the development of positive plans for a successful transition into full time employment or further study.
- Healthy Lifestyles – addresses healthy habits for life including nutrition, self-care and personal hygiene, sport, and fitness.
- Wellbeing – focuses on personal wellbeing and mental health.
- Community, Culture and Leadership – celebrates First Nations culture and encourages activity within communities which develops confidence and pride.
The Stars model is underpinned by the latest research in education and public health, along with decades of experience working with First Nations students.
Stars Foundation prepares extensive biannual reports for its Government, business and philanthropic partners that outline key metrics and stories that reinforce the impact of the work. The following metrics reflect the power of the work.
- At the end of Semester 1 2024, Stars has 267 Year 12s enrolled in the Stars program. 92% of the 220 students enrolled in the Year 12 Stars program in 2023 successfully completed their final year, compared to the national Indigenous average of 65%. In some of the areas Stars Foundation works, Indigenous Year 12 completion rates are 30-40%.
- The average Semester 1 2024 attendance rate for the Stars cohort was 78%. 78% was also the Stars students’ average attendance for 2023, which is 10% higher than our partner school’s ‘All-Indigenous’ attendance rate and 1% higher than our partner school’s ’All-student’ attendance.
- 85% of 2023 Stars Graduates nationwide have successfully transitioned to employment or further study and remain in positions as of February 2024.
- There are 900+ Stars Alumni since establishment in 2015.
For individual case studies that outline the impact of Stars, please visit our recent Annual Reports.
First Nations students in partner schools are given the opportunity to enrol into the program with consent from their guardian, which means the student and family are invested in the program and outcomes from the outset and make the choice to participate.
Yes, every Stars program is supported by a Transitions team, who focus on education and employment opportunities and pathways for students. During the senior school years, the Stars Transitions Coordinators work closely with the school, families, preferred universities, and local employers to help a student make her aspirations a reality. This assistance may range from helping students gather critical documents such as a birth certificate or earning a driver’s license or assisting with a University or job application.
The Transitions team are committed to working with our Stars for two years after school when the students become Stars Alumni. The Stars Alumni also enjoy regular events and communication with each other.
Stars is consistently setting up new programs with school partners across Australia and in 2025 will be working with more than 4,000 First Nations students in 65+ primary and secondary schools operating across all mainland states and the Northern Territory.
The breakdown of 62 Stars programs by state at the end of 2024 is: Western Australia (24), Northern Territory (21), Queensland (5), Victoria (4), South Australia (4) and New South Wales (4).
Stars is currently experiencing an average growth rate of around 20-25% each year with 10 new programs launched in 2023 and 2024. For a list of partner schools across Australia, please visit Stars’ Programs page.
The team at Stars Foundation believes in a future where all Australians have equitable access to a quality education. We believe in a future where First Nations girls and young women are given the same opportunities to thrive as First Nations boys, and all young Australians.
Education is central to the empowerment of women and girls because it has a transformative impact on individuals, communities and economies. The 2020 Productivity Commission’s ‘Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report’ states there are significant benefits for young people who attain Year 12 or equivalent.
It is widely recognised that a good education, including regular school attendance and completion of Year 12, lays the foundation for success and Stars Foundation exists to helps deliver these results.
Some of the many reasons that First Nations communities, families and students choose Stars include:
- Opportunities: Stars students are offered education, employment, and life opportunities to help positively shape their future.
- Exceptional Mentors: Stars students are inspired by strong and nurturing Mentors.
- Holistic Program: The Stars program focuses on four key pillars including Education and Employment; Wellbeing; Healthy Lifestyles; and Community, Culture and Leadership.
- Community: Work in Stars programs across schools is built from a trusted collaboration between schools, communities, and generous funding partners.
- Equality and Equity: Together we believe in equal opportunities for First Nations girls.
Please get in touch with the Stars team via [email protected] and let’s start a conversation about your interest in the Stars Foundation and next steps. For a list of Stars’ partners schools across Australia, please visit our Programs page.
The Stars Foundation is based on a tri-sector partnership model made up of Federal and State Governments, leaders of business and philanthropy and Australian donors who generously make the work and impact of Stars a priority. For a full list of Stars partners, please visit our Partners page.
In 2023, Stars Foundation’s operating costs were $18 million as outlined in the 2023 Annual Report.
Stars Foundation is committed to ensuring 85% of Stars funding is distributed directly to programs in community.
Put simply, $2,500 per year of private funding helps Stars Foundation provide full-time, school-based support and mentoring for one First Nations girl or young woman. Alternately, $48 per week of private funding helps Stars Foundation provide full-time, school-based support and mentoring for one First Nations girl or young woman.