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The Foundation supports education programs that motivate and challenge. Our education partnerships include reading and literacy programs for disadvantaged children and their families, life skills, leadership camps and advanced tertiary education programs and scholarships for gifted students.
Cape York Institute's Higher Expectations Program (HEP), Australia
HEP was established to encourage students in remote indigenous communities to pursue tertiary education. It is part of the Cape York Institute’s plan to build a self-sufficient economy and community in the Cape, by creating a new generation of young people who are better educated. Currently as few as six per cent of students complete Year 12 in the Cape.
In a major education partnership, the Foundation will contribute almost $A1 million to the program, enabling Cape York students to attend select Queensland boarding schools and giving them a greater chance to qualify for tertiary study. In addition to funding tuition, the partnership enables HEP staff to work closely with families, communities and schools to support the students involved. The Foundation has also donated computers and Macquarie staff provide mentoring support.
 Big Buddy Reading
Beginning with a small number of staff visiting an inner-city school in Sydney and reading to students during their lunch hour, the Big Buddy Reading program has grown to include schools in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London and Hong Kong with almost 200 staff participating.
The 'Little Buddies' (students) who take part are identified as requiring extra assistance with their reading and comprehension and are matched with two Macquarie 'Big Buddies'. Each week one of these Big Buddies attends the reading session at the school. The basis of the program is to not only assist students with their reading skills but to foster in them a love of books and reading.
Books in Homes, Australia
Books in Homes has provided books to almost 40,000 disadvantaged children. Children from kindergarten to Year 6 can choose nine books each year to keep. The Foundation has provided funding for three years to the program in New South Wales and Victoria, and has previously provided funding for Books in Homes to operate in three isolated rural communities in New South Wales.
 Hackney Schools’ Mentoring Program, UK
In London, 32 Macquarie staff have joined the Hackney Schools’ Mentoring Program, providing support to young people in one of the city’s poorest areas. They mentor 80 teenagers from the Cardinal Pole School on a fortnightly basis, teaching them skills such as CV writing, how to prepare for an interview and selecting a university degree. Macquarie staff have visited the school, while the teenagers have also visited Macquarie’s London offices.
The Hackney Schools’ Mentoring Program is run by the East London Business Alliance, a philanthropic organisation which provides a bridge between business and the wider community to promote urban regeneration. The program is supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation while Jim Craig and Lord Gus Macdonald, from Macquarie London’s senior management, share a position on the Hackney Area Board of the East London Business Alliance.
Hackney Real Apprentice Scheme, UK
In London, the Macquarie Group Foundation has entered a two-year partnership to support the Hackney Real Apprentice Scheme, also run by the East London Business Alliance. Targeting local 16-25 year olds, the scheme aims to employ 40 young people over two years. As part of the project, Macquarie and its company assets and businesses will participate to allow for a range of employment options across different industries. The Hackney Real Apprentice Employment Program will support young people who are currently not in any form of education, employment or training.
Macquarie Trading Room at Bond University, Australia
A simulated trading room has been developed at Bond University, with funding from the Macquarie Group Foundation and Macquarie Capital. The Trading Room gives Finance and Commerce students practical experience in executing deals and managing portfolios. Bond University has worked closely with Macquarie to ensure the trading room will be the leading facility of its type in Australia, utilising the same data and technology currently used by financial institutions around the world.
The Trading Room features state-of-the-art computer systems with dual screen technology and a data screen wall projecting a live feed, with price movements continually displayed on an overhead ticker. Macquarie IT staff worked with Bond University staff for six months to ensure the trading room replicated real life trading conditions and complemented the existing curriculum.
New York Macquarie Student Mentoring Program
Macquarie has developed a program in association with Columbia University’s Double Discovery Centre to provide mentoring and work experience to selected New York students aged 16 to 17. Eight students are chosen to take part in the six-month program, culminating in four weeks paid work experience at Macquarie’s New York office.
Under the program, students meet regularly with mentor teams led by senior Macquarie executives, developing skills and building relationships. The program is designed to reinforce the value of education, enhance students’ self esteem and confidence and provide work experience for future employment opportunities.
Other education initiatives
Other education programmes supported by the Foundation and Macquarie staff include: Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Outward Bound Australia, The Prince’s Trust (UK), Centre for Independent Studies, Australian American Education Leadership Foundation, The Australian Science Media Centre, the Harvard Club of Australia and AFS Intercultural Programs.
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