What is Our Place?
Our Place is a holistic place-based approach to supporting the education, health and development of all children and families in communities experiencing disadvantage by utilising the universal platform of a school.
Evidence indicates that education is the key to lifting the aspirations and improving the lives of children and their families.
Our vision is that all children and their families succeed in life. We aim to reshape the service system by influencing changes in policies and practices that address the structural causes of disadvantage.
We refer to our role as ‘The Glue’, as we facilitate partnerships that enable the school to be the central place for learning and support services that overcome barriers to educational achievement.
Our Place is an initiative of the Colman Education Foundation. Through the Foundation’s ten-year partnership with the Victorian state government, Our Place is being implemented in ten school sites across Victoria, with the support of philanthropic partners.
OUR STRATEGY
The strategy to achieve our vision and mission consists of four pillars and three key enablers.
Pillars
ENABLERS
Long-term government partnerships
Provides infrastructure and governance to support our approach along with a platform to test and advocate for changes within the system.
Committed philanthropic partners
Provides long-term funding and enables collaboration with like-minded philanthropy organisations to pursue genuine system change.
Distinctive organisational capability
Develop internal capability to execute our strategy and leverage the capability of others to work differently for the benefit children and families.