Other Invergowrie
Projects
The Invergowrie Foundation is focused on advancing the education of girls and women in Victoria particularly in STEM education. Below are some other projects they have supported.
Girls As Leaders in STEM (GALS)
Since 2019, GALS has provided a project-based STEM learning program for Year 5-8 girls and their teachers. Girls undertake a project during a school term, focusing on a locally identified authentic problem from STEM Industries and their community. They are mentored in design thinking, leadership, entrepreneurship, teamwork and communication by STEM professionals, ambassadors and educators. The GALS project has so far been implemented in rural and regional centres across Victoria, including Geelong, Warrnambool, Mildura and Ballarat. We are looking to expand the reach of the program. In 2024 we launched a GALS Academy for our GALS alumni girls, teachers, schools and partners.
Acorns to Oak Trees - Primary + STEM
The Acorns to Oak Trees project: Creative approaches to teaching STEM to advance female students aims to create a central online portal of resources for Victorian primary school teachers of STEM, and parents. This website brings together a wide range of resources for teaching STEM and inspiring girls towards STEM careers.
Acorns to Oak Trees - Enterprise + STEM
The Acorn to Oak Trees project: Creative approaches to teaching STEM to advance female students aims to help girls imagine their potential futures through educational materials showcasing talented women who've turned their passion for STEM into enterprising careers.
The website is an online repository of resources aimed at tackling the issue of under-participation and under-representation of women in the Australian STEM sector.
The McPherson Family and Invergowrie Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship for Women in STEM
The McPherson Family and Invergowrie Foundation PhD Scholarship for Women was established with a gift from the Invergowrie Foundation and is offered to domestic students who are enrolling in the Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering and IT and identify as women (cis-gender and transwomen) or non-binary. Preference is given to students who intend to undertake studies in the field of Engineering. This scholarship provides a fortnightly top-up stipend with a rate of $20,000 per year (full-time student rate) for up to 3 years and includes limited paid sick, maternity and parenting leave.
Monash Virtual School
The Monash Virtual School provides free online learning programs designed to enhance educational opportunity.
The Monash Virtual School feels a moral obligation to challenge inequities. They listen in order to develop understanding which informs their educational designs. They aim to promote hope and empowerment for individuals and, in turn, their communities. Each of the programs are specifically designed and a unique expression of their values, reflecting a conscious choice to undertake work that aligns with their principles and leverages their strengths.
Girls in Physics Breakfasts in 2025
Girls in Physics Breakfasts will be held at venues in Melbourne and across regional Victoria in 2025. At the breakfast students from Years 10 to 12 share a table with two or three women who are either in a career in physics or engineering, or are at university as an undergraduate or a postgraduate. The students have a chance to ask questions about their careers and what study at university is like. Students are seated with students from other schools. At each breakfast there is an address by a prominent scientist, who talks about her area of interest at a level appropriate for the audience.