The VN excellence awards???

[enwiabe]

I've always wanted to have an equity bursary of some kind for a kid who does really well in a year 12 subject in year 11 from a disadvantaged background who is committed to attending university but is up against it because their school is in a pretty poor SEAS category. The bursary might be to pay for books/private tuition etc. for year 12

How do you judge that?

Easy, the person who gets the highest score at a school in the highest SEAS category

[Mao]

Here's an idea, us tutors opt in to a charity program, users anonymously submit applications outlining their disadvantaged background, we have a panel that selects the most compelling students, and the tutors who opt in take one or two students each for a summer head-start program.

No cost to the VN bank, and we don't have to worry too much about verification as 1-on-1 contact will easily tell if the student is telling the truth, plus we put a charity spin on it that will get it easily published in local newspapers (if not something bigger).

I have enough pull to get local newspaper in two districts, I'm sure if you invite Kara Leah (from Lyndhurst) on board a lot more options will be opened, I hear she's a journalist these days.

[shinny]

Mao's idea sounds great. I'm happy to join in as well. Was already thinking of something similar, but giving it as a prize only to those from SEAS backgrounds sounds like something much more in the VN spirit than what I had in mind.

[werdna]

I've been in contact with Robyn Riley from the Herald Sun if you need me.

EDIT: And also David McMahon who has an editing position at HS.

[stonecold]

I've been in contact with Robyn Riley from the Herald Sun if you need me.

EDIT: And also David McMahon who has an editing position at HS.

get us the study score archive with schools please! 

[MuggedByReality]

   Perhaps there could be a donation box, for those of us with a dime or two to spare to contribute towards the bursary fund.

[Bonifacio]

It actually sounds pretty neat. I'm sure (given the state of our news media) VN would make it on TV. Extreme exposure to potential members. Essentially, free advertising.

But Premier's awards doesn't make it onto TV and only gets a tiny box in the newspaper..?

Think about it for a minute. If all the high achievers claim that their study scores and ATARs would not have been possible without an online forum, I'm pretty sure people would be interested. If VN is presented as a way to transcend "crappy" schools, so to speak, it would not only be relevant to current social issues like school funding, it would also present the internet and its communication mediums as "beneficial", contrary to popular belief.

To be honest with you, whilst I appreciate the help on this forum, I think you underestimate 'crappy' school teachers. My friend went to a school where the highest score ever was 97.1, she smashed it and got 99.8. Just because you go to a traditionally weak school doesn't mean your teachers are incompetent, it's usually the students attitude that needs fixing. There is no school in the state without at least one decent mathematics, English and science teacher. If you talk to them enough, there is no need for outside help, I think the putting down of teachers on this forum is taken a bit too far personally. They are professionals in their field and have a lot of experience teaching people, to think these people are literally worthless to you yet some kid who loves maths can help you is asinine.

[Russ]

Students assume that if they're not going to an elite private school then they won't have good teachers, which isn't true. They won't have the best teachers, but they won't necessarily have bad ones. There was an article on the followup to those intensive study teachers that were given 6 weeks of training and they apparently did quite well in state schools.

[tea.squaredd]

Problem: The amount of prac exams on this site.
Think about it.

[MuggedByReality]

It actually sounds pretty neat. I'm sure (given the state of our news media) VN would make it on TV. Extreme exposure to potential members. Essentially, free advertising.

But Premier's awards doesn't make it onto TV and only gets a tiny box in the newspaper..?

Think about it for a minute. If all the high achievers claim that their study scores and ATARs would not have been possible without an online forum, I'm pretty sure people would be interested. If VN is presented as a way to transcend "crappy" schools, so to speak, it would not only be relevant to current social issues like school funding, it would also present the internet and its communication mediums as "beneficial", contrary to popular belief.

To be honest with you, whilst I appreciate the help on this forum, I think you underestimate 'crappy' school teachers. My friend went to a school where the highest score ever was 97.1, she smashed it and got 99.8. Just because you go to a traditionally weak school doesn't mean your teachers are incompetent, it's usually the students attitude that needs fixing. There is no school in the state without at least one decent mathematics, English and science teacher. If you talk to them enough, there is no need for outside help, I think the putting down of teachers on this forum is taken a bit too far personally. They are professionals in their field and have a lot of experience teaching people, to think these people are literally worthless to you yet some kid who loves maths can help you is asinine.

I think it's more hit and miss at state schools -there are some fantastic teachers, but also some real duds. A distinctly unhelpful atmosphere (in one class or the school as a whole) can also be a barrier. If the teacher isn't great and the no-one else is particularly motivated, then outside influences such as this can be a real lifesaver.

 I think if we do award money (instead of or as well as free tutoring) we should try to find someone who really needs it on academic grounds as well as for financial reasons, ie: not someone who gets 50 in a hard science or humanities subject in yr 11 and will therefore clearly manage quite well on their own in yr 12.