One Education Foundation connects with Vinnies to support students in need

Students heading back to school will be set up for success in the classroom thanks to a new partnership between the One Education Foundation to the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

One Education Foundation has generously donated 50 refurbished Infinity laptops to be distributed by the Society NSW to households facing financial hardship across Greater Sydney.

“We’re grateful for the generosity of the One Education Foundation to help address the disadvantage facing a growing number of households,” said Yolanda Saiz, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO.

“Every child should have the opportunity to thrive in the classroom, and through this donation we’ll be able to ensure students we assist won’t be starting the new school year at a disadvantage.

“The start of a new school year places a great deal of financial strain on households which are already feeling the burden of ongoing cost of living pressures. 

“Approximately half of the households our members supported across Greater Sydney reported experiencing housing stress, so any support we can offer to ease that pressure is most appreciated,” said Ms Saiz.

St Vincent de Paul Society NSW supported 39,500 people through its members across the Metropolitan region, covering Sydney Archdiocese, Greater Western Sydney and Broken Bay, in the past financial year.

The Society NSW provides a range of assistance to households experiencing hardship and disadvantage, including food, clothing, household goods, unexpected expenses and more through its network of members located throughout the state.

One Education Foundation aims to improve access to technology and its usage in classrooms globally. 

“Education plays an essential role in empowering individuals and communities, so we’re delighted to be working with an organisation like the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW that shares our commitment to addressing disadvantage,” said Matthew Ciao, One Education Foundation CEO.

“The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW has deep ties to local communities throughout the state and is well placed to identify and support households in need.

“Technology plays an important role in how students learn in the classroom and at home; ensuring that everyone has access helps to set students up for success now and for years to come,” said Mr Ciao.

The One Education Infinity laptops are designed to support learning in the classroom with modern capabilities and are built to be durable for the everyday demands of students from all backgrounds.

Over 100,000 laptops have been delivered to disadvantaged schools and communities across the country since 2009 through the One Education Foundation program.

For more information, visit www.vinnies.org.au and www.one-education.org. 

L-R: Philip Argy, Joanna Liesch, Louis Hearnden, Joy Kyriacou, Bhavika Patel, Matthew Ciao, Maria Stornelli, Sam Miller, Alan Quan.