Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA) has changed its name to Community Work Australia
Community Work Australia

An initiative to assist aspiring community work students experiencing disadvantage.

In November 2019 Community Work Australia celebrated its 50th birthday and throughout its fifty years the organisation has strived to ensure that community workers are qualified to practice. Nowadays there is a vast array of suitable VET and tertiary education for community workers but still some talented young people are prevented, through some level of disadvantage, from accessing these courses.

To commemorate its 50 years Community Work Australia has created the Australian Community Workers Foundation, a scholarship fund that will eventually provide support to these young people.

Goals

The goals of the new Australian Community Workers Foundation are to:

  1. Provide financial support to potential students experiencing disadvantage because they:
  • live with a disability;
  • have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage;
  • are refugees or asylum seekers;
  • have a background of economic or social disadvantage; or
  • live in a remote area that limits their access to education.
  1. Provide an academic achievement student prize to promote the notion of excellence or determination in community work practice.
  2. Promote and facilitate the community benefit of a well-educated, ethical community work labour force.
  3. Conduct, publish, facilitate, or participate in research that contributes to the better understanding and recognition of a well-educated professional community work practitioner.

We need your help

Of course, the Australian Community Workers Foundation will need funds, and your help, to reach its goal. Community Work Australia has made an initial $30,000 contribution to kick off the fundraising campaign but we have a long way to go. We have secured deductible gift recipient (DGR) status and registration with the ACNC, so if you think this is a good cause and you can help please considering donating using the online form. For direct deposit donations, please email info@communitywork.org.au.