Macquarie University graduate Jennifer Star was just 21 when she founded Tara.Ed – an innovative organisation promoting sustainable quality education in rural India by training teachers.
Her work has now been recognised with Jennifer recently being named the winner of the NSW Young Australian of the Year awards.
Jennifer was inspired to start Tara.Ed after volunteering as a teacher in the slums of India in 2006. Despite a great deal of resolve on her part, Jennifer says getting the organisation off the ground was a challenge.
“Starting a charity as a 21 year old is never easy because few people take you seriously,” she says. “I’m lucky that I had a group of people around me who were always encouraging.”
Jennifer’s vision got a boost in 2007, when she represented Macquarie University at the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Conference in New York.
Here, Jennifer was able to pitch her idea for Tara.Ed to 75 leaders from around the world. Her idea was well received and she was given the funds necessary to establish her not-for-profit organisation.
Jennifer’s volunteer student teachers are provided with an opportunity to develop their own teaching skills through collaboration with Indian practitioners
“I was nominated for the award without my knowledge, so finding out that I was a finalist was a big surprise,” says Jennifer.
Assistance from the Australia-India Council has also funded Tara.Ed’s most recent Teacher Tour program, which offers university students studying Education a chance to volunteer in rural Indian schools.
The volunteers help Tara.Ed reach over 1500 children in India – a number which Jennifer hopes will significantly increase as the organisation continues to grow.
“Tara.Ed goal is to reach 20 000 students and 2000 teachers by the year 2020”, she notes.
For now, the award nomination is a welcome recognition of the organisation’s great work.
“I am just an ordinary Australian, but I have had the opportunity to do extraordinary things,” Jennifer says.
“The award is a reflection of the amazing support of the people who believe in the Tara.Ed vision.”
The Teacher Tour Program is currently open to Macquarie University students undertaking an Education degree. Read more about Tara.Ed on facebook.
Sydney, Australia
