Future Ready Students

At The Fogarty Foundation, we believe that learning about the wonders of the universe can ignite young people’s passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), encouraging them to dream big and think creatively.

The Fogarty Foundation and Perth Festival share a long-standing partnership, supporting pathways for all ages across WA. Through the Festival’s Creative Learning Program, we foster creative expression, participation, and a love of the arts. As Patron of Creative Learning, we strengthen community, leadership, and sustainability.

The Fogarty Foundation is proud to support the Premier’s Science Awards, a significant initiative of the Western Australian Government that promotes excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As co-funders of the awards, we are dedicated to encouraging innovation and inspiring future generations to pursue careers in STEM, which are essential for the diversification and advancement of Western Australia’s economy.

The Fogarty Foundation continues its philanthropic partnership with Sculpture by the Sea, supporting the School Education Program to provide students from low socio-economic backgrounds with the opportunity to engage with sculpture. The School Education program has reached over 36,000 primary and secondary students, inspiring creativity and exploring sculptural practices. Led by exhibiting artists, it helps students understand how context shapes the meaning of art and the considerations involved in creating public outdoor sculptures. The Foundation sponsors workshops for students from Fogarty EDvance schools and other low socio-economic communities, expanding access to the transformative power of art.

The Foundation funds access to the Perkins Profs Intensive Program at the Harry Perkins Institute, offering students from low socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to engage in hands-on STEM experiences. This program allows students to immerse themselves in a real-world medical research environment, where they gain valuable skills and knowledge through practical laboratory work, seminars, and interactions with researchers, bioengineers, and science undergraduates. By connecting students with experts in the field, the program broadens their understanding of medical research and other STEM career pathways, inspiring them to pursue further studies and contribute to scientific advancements. The initiative helps bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering curiosity and raising aspirations for future careers in STEM fields.

The Fogarty Foundation partners with The Smith Family to support two key initiatives that help Western Australian students experiencing hardship access educational opportunities. These initiatives focus on fostering talent in various fields, from sports and academia to digital inclusion, ensuring that students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

• Learning for Life Program: Supports students in need by providing access to opportunities in arts, sports, leadership, and academia.
• Digital Inclusion Program: Provides students with the digital tools and support necessary to fully engage in education and future job markets.

The Fogarty Foundation is proud to partner with GoSHackathon to expand its reach into more regions of Western Australia, with the aim of fostering innovation, youth engagement, and skills development. This collaboration is designed to empower young people by providing them with a platform to showcase their talents in technology and problem-solving. By bringing together students, educators, and industry professionals, the event not only inspires educators to better support the innovative capabilities of their students, but also creates valuable opportunities for regional youth to explore careers in technology and entrepreneurship. With an emphasis on future-focused skills, the partnership aims to break down geographical and socio-economic barriers, ensuring that young people from all parts of WA have access to the tools, experiences, and networks needed to thrive in the digital age.

The Fogarty Foundation will be working with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of WA (YEAWA) to support enrichment opportunities for the Awards finalists, enabling them to continue developing their enterprises, participate in professional development sessions, and access ongoing opportunities to grow their skills and ventures. By officially supporting the Awards, the Foundation aims to inspire students and emerging leaders to pursue bold ideas and shape a brighter, more innovative future.

The Game Changer Awards recognise young people who are driving positive change in their communities through leadership, creativity, and innovation. In 2025, the Fogarty Foundation supported the Awards, which impacted 760+ participants from 25 schools in Western Australia. In 2025, the Game Changer Academy launched, supporting capability building for teachers and schools through design thinking and innovation-based learning. The Awards brought together 95 industry judges which demonstrated a sustained and strong industry engagement from professionals across the WA technology and innovation ecosystem.

Musica Viva Australia is a national leader in music education, delivering long-term, school-embedded residencies designed to improve access to quality music learning in communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. Their three-year, Australia-wide model focuses on depth of engagement and whole-school participation, embedding weekly classroom music delivered by specialist teaching artists, alongside two live, in-school performances each year from Musica Viva Australia's culturally and musically diverse In Schools program.

The Fogarty Foundation are proud to partner with Musica Viva Australia through its Music Education Residency Program. The residency includes professional development for all teachers, access to instruments and resources, opportunities for student performance, and a robust evaluation framework to ensure sustained impact. This partnership is positioned within the Future Ready Students pillar because it develops essential capabilities beyond traditional academic measures, including creativity, confidence, collaboration, wellbeing, and engagement with learning.

Habitats for Wildlife is a year-long program that gives students full ownership of designing, building and monitoring a conservation project on their school grounds. Projects range from simple initiatives such as installing water dishes for local species to larger habitat transformations. Students lead every stage of the process, applying science in practical and meaningful ways while reflecting on what they are doing and why. The program fosters inclusion, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills. 

In 2025, we proudly formalised a partnership with Perth Zoo to support the Habitats for Wildlife program, a leading conservation education initiative that empowers students to become active environmental stewards by connecting classroom learning with real-world conservation action.