Ardoch Youth Foundation is a well-known youth education organisation focused on improving educational outcomes for children and young people in communities facing disadvantage. Gandel Foundation provided grants to Ardoch in the past, and then again more recently, for their Writers in Residence program.
The Writers in Residence program sees published authors deliver book-writing workshops for primary school students. This year one of the authors involved (and there were 5) was Vikki Conely, winner of the 2023 Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award (pictured with students from Roxburgh Rise Primary School).
Vikki spent 6 weeks helping students imagine and create their own work, who in the end produced the wonderful “5D’s Heart” book! Gandel Foundation’s funding supported the delivery of this inspiring program in 5 schools, engaging over 200 students.
Vikki and students developing their book project.