The Mornington Peninsula Foundation: a commitment to community partners

Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is well known as a popular holiday destination and place of affluence. The reality, however, is that there are several postcodes on the Peninsula where people experience some of the highest levels of socio-economic disadvantage in the state.

In response to this, the Mornington Peninsula Foundation (MPF) was established as a Public Benevolent Institution in 2017. MPF operates as a place-based philanthropic organisation working with an ever-growing network of community, donor, business, and government partners to increase inclusion and access to community resources and opportunities.

Since formation, MPF has raised over $10M from over 120 donor partners; from large established trusts to small family foundations, individuals, and businesses. The MPF running costs are covered by the George Hicks Foundation, so all other donations are paid out through our grants process.

Over the past six years, MPF has developed strong relationships with community partners in education, housing, and family support services.

Through the work in kinders, primary and secondary schools, education has become a focus because of the correlation between educational attainment, employment, wellbeing, and economic independence.

In 2022 MPF consolidated work in two main geographical areas, Western Port, and the Southern Peninsula, forming two clusters made up of community and education partners who focus on early years intervention, evidence-based teaching, and integrated family and wellbeing support.

The commitment of MPF community partners in these clusters is to work together, innovate and lead systems change. Their courage and vision to go against the status quo for the benefit of the children, young people and families is a feature of this work.

The key strategy within the schools is the adoption of the Science of Learning, an outcome of their work over the last four years to address low rates of oral language and literacy.

The Science of Learning uses empirical evidence from a wide range of sources over the last two decades in how people learn to better understand how to teach. It includes systematic synthetic phonics, direct, explicit instruction, assessment to mastery, and knowledge rich, structured curricula.

Within the Science of Learning is the Science of Reading, which is used in the early years to ensure all children have the foundational skills to ensure they are reading to learn by the end of year 2.

MPF education community partners are deeply committed to changing teaching practice through evidence-based training, which MPF is funding.

This is bottom-up systems change showing outstandingly positive early-stage outcomes. These include increased levels of oral language in children entering school, improved rates of literacy in students transitioning to secondary, increased attendance and engagement in learning in secondary, much decreased classroom disruption, enhanced teacher retention and school enrolments. As the schools and services build hubs of success MPF will look at spreading the work to other areas on the Peninsula as driven by those communities.

For more information on the wonderful work MPF is doing, head on over to their website.

Community Foundations Australia is keen to hear stories from across our network. If you are a member of Community Foundations Australia and have a great story to tell, please get in touch with our Communications Officer, Mandy Beaumont at mandy@cfaustralia.org.au