Philanthropy spotlight: PMF Foundation

A student in Lauren Borg’s (Cohort 2025) music class picked the ukulele as a joke. Months later, he is learning guitar in a small group. Literacy is a struggle for him. Troubles at home make school harder still. His electric guitar is broken, but he holds on to the sheet music and keeps learning.

“He loves a particular band, so I align our lessons with the music he enjoys,” says Lauren, who is now in her second year of teaching in regional Victoria.

The gap he is up against

The Mitchell Institute’s Years Apart May 2026 report measured the gap. By Year 9, students whose parents did not finish school sit about four years and three months behind their classmates. The divide widens the longer students stay in schools without enough resources.

Teachers in regional, rural, remote and low socio-economic communities do much of the work to turn those numbers around, often far from anyone doing the same job.

Where PMF Foundation comes in

PMF Foundation funds work in education, the environment and First Nations communities. From 2026, the PMF Foundation is backing Teach For Australia with three years of flexible funding. Funds flow into our two-year Leadership Development Program to support Associates like Lauren join the program, stay well and get better at teaching. Their students gain a teacher who knows how to guide them.

Removing the cost of getting started

Talented graduates can miss out because they cannot afford to train. New teachers complete intensive training from November to January, before any pay arrives. Our Access and Equity Fund covers up to $5,000 each for relocation and living costs, which means that candidates from lower-income backgrounds no longer have to turn down a place.

Support for the hard days

A child who has had a rough start does not always walk in ready to learn. Some go quiet; others blow up over something small. New teachers need tools for those moments, and for their own wellbeing.

Lauren keeps her classes predictable. “I emphasise a consistent routine and get creative about how I provide structure,” she says. Short “brain breaks” are part of her lessons too. Students get a minute away from the task, then come back ready to work.

Someone to talk to matters the most for our teachers who move to regional, rural or remote towns, as family and friends are often hours away. The first few months can feel particularly lonely. Each of our teachers can access up to 12 counselling sessions a year through our partner, Greater Space. The service specialises in working with educators. A 2026 Greater Space survey found every teacher who used the counselling felt better able to help students.

Coaching, one step at a time

Steplab is the coaching platform our teachers use across the country. School Instructional-based coaches set a goal with a teacher, sit in on a lesson, then agree on one thing to work on next. Early-career teachers build practical skills in classroom management and teaching. In mid-2026, 87% of our teachers said they can create and keep a safe classroom. 89% feel confident planning and delivering effective lessons.

“The support is fantastic,” Lauren says. “There are many people I can talk to, and the course assignments are well laid out.”

Why teachers stay

Teachers who are trained and coached last longer in the job. 88% finish our program, compared with 68% of people who start traditional postgraduate pathways.

Teach For Australia thanks PMF Foundation for funding the work that keeps teachers in those classrooms.

Donate today to put another trained teacher in a classroom that needs one.

For more information on partnering with us, please contact Olivia Oh at philanthropy@teachforaustralia.org or visit teachforaustralia.org/support-and-donate