ECU Foundation Impact Report 2025

ECU Foundation Impact Report 2025

The power of giving

Chancellor’s foreword

A heartfelt thank you

As Chancellor, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the profound difference philanthropic giving makes to our students, our research endeavours and the communities we serve.

In the pages ahead you will see the extraordinary generosity of our donors in action, and the tangible difference their support makes through scholarships, bequests, community giving and partnerships.

These stories are just a glimpse of the impact shared with us at the four ECU Foundation Board meetings held throughout 2025. It is deeply rewarding to provide strategic guidance and oversight to ECU’s philanthropic efforts, to spend time with generous donors, and to contribute to advancing the University’s priorities, long-term ambitions and sustainability through fundraising.

I extend my sincere thanks to Board members Ms Di Bain, Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock, Vice-President (Corporate Services) Mr Scott Henderson, and the ECU Development and Alumni Relations team for their commitment and support throughout the year. I also wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of former Vice-President (Engagement) Ms Sonia Mackay-Coghill, whose nearly decade-long service concluded in July 2025.

On behalf of the ECU Foundation Board, I extend our heartfelt thanks to every member of our donor community. Whatever the size of your contribution in 2025, please know that its impact is profound, and that together, your generosity is changing lives and strengthening the future of our University.

As we open our ECU City Campus in 2026, I am excited by the opportunities our new home in the heart of Perth will unlock, and I look forward to continuing our shared work to transform lives and better our community for generations to come.

With thanks and best wishes,

Gaye McMath Chancellor and ECU Foundation Chair

Edith Cowan University acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Custodians and knowledge-holders of these unceded lands upon which students and staff live, learn and work, and pays its respects to the ancestors and Elders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

You make ECU a place where excellence and equity co-exist

Kaya!

I am exceptionally proud to share the 2025 ECU Foundation Impact Report with you showcasing the extraordinary power of your giving.

Across ECU, I see determination and tenacity in action. It is a university where excellence and equity advance side-by-side, made possible in no small part by the steadfast support of our loyal and passionate donor community.

Your generosity is far more than a gift. It is a catalyst for change, empowering students to realise their potential, enabling research that addresses realworld challenges, and igniting the creativity that brings joy and connects our communities.

Our new home in the heart of Perth is going to create even more opportunities for meaningful partnerships and shared impact. I warmly invite you to visit ECU City, experience this vibrant new place for learning and community, and to explore the possibilities we can shape together for the future. Together, we are powerful. Together, our impact can be unstoppable.

With deepest thanks for your enduring support,

Professor Clare Pollock Vice-Chancellor

WAAPA: Home to world-class visiting artists

WAAPA’s 2025 Musical Theatre graduates are beginning their careers with an experience that few performers will ever have: helping shape a brand-new musical.

Over the three years of their degree, the students worked with WAAPA alumnus and writer-composer Eddie Perfect (Beetlejuice, Shane Warne the Musical) to develop Tivoli Lovely, a musical comedy inspired by Australia’s historic vaudeville circuit.

Being part of the process from early drafts to opening night gave the students rare insight into how a new musical is created.

“It feels like the professional real deal… it’s a great learning opportunity that we don’t get very often in musical theatre.”

Zoe, third year Musical Theatre student

In addition to Eddie Perfect, students were able to work with some of the country’s leading creative practitioners including fellow WAAPA alumni, Dean Bryant (director) and Johannes Luebbers (orchestration) along with Zara Stanton (music direction), Kelley Abbey (choreography) and Dann Barber (set and costume design).

The result was a cast of 40 Musical Theatre students, a 24-piece student orchestra and a full crew of production, lighting, set and design students behind the scenes delivering Tivoli Lovely to packed houses, standing ovations and rave reviews at the Heath Ledger Theatre in November.

“It’s been a remarkable experience watching both the students and the musical grow across such a long time.” Dean Bryant, WAAPA alumnus Bachelor of Arts (Musical Theatre), 1999

Tivoli Lovely was one of two major visiting artist residencies to reach fruition in 2025 thanks to the support of WAAPA’s Principal Partner, Minderoo Foundation.

“Every

bit as good as any (musical theatre extravaganza) you would expect to see on Broadway or London’s West End.”

Fremantle Shipping News

“These residencies have strengthened WAAPA’s connection to the global performing arts industry and positioned Western Australia as a place where ambitious, world-class work can be made.”

In August, students from WAAPA’s Acting and Production & Design courses presented Antigone, the culmination of a three-year creative partnership with acclaimed UK theatre company, Cheek by Jowl.

The residency gave students valuable exposure to leading international practitioners and contributed to their development as artists.

“I think it is so very important for students to have contact with performers throughout the world to prepare them for their future careers.”

Nick Ormerod, Co-founder and Joint Artistic Director, Cheek by Jowl

The success of these two long-term residencies has paved the way for the establishment of a new Premier Visiting Artist Fund. Formed as part of the landmark gift from WAAPA's Prinicpal Partner, Minderoo Foundation, it will enable WAAPA to host some of the world's preeminent creative artists in its new state-of-the-art home at ECU City from 2026.

Thanks to donor support, WAAPA students are graduating with the skills, global industry networks, confidence and creative ambition to shape the future of Australian performing arts.

Impact powered by Minderoo Foundation

2x 3-year residencies

8 visiting artists

170+ students and creatives across all disciplines from production and design, musical theatre, music and acting

SOLD OUT

17 sold out public shows across the 2 performances

Watch Cheek by Jowl in action with WAAPA students creating Antigone bit.ly/Antigone-2025

>5000 audience attendance

>1000 new social media followers for WAAPAnce growth

94% of students on average, agreed that their experience increased their future employability in the arts

NEW Premier Visiting Artist Program commencing 2026

Future teachers for remote communities

Many rural and remote schools in Western Australia are finding it harder than ever to attract and retain teachers.

While graduate teachers could help bridge the gap, many do not see these locations as a potential first teaching destination.

In 2025, ECU launched the inaugural On Country Study Tour to give pre-service teachers experience in remote and regional settings.

Research shows that getting these opportunities during training increases the likelihood that graduates will pursue teaching roles outside the metropolitan areas.

In June, ten pre-service teachers from ECU’s Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary degree programs spent a week in Derby, in the heart of the Kimberley.

“This is more than a field trip for these future educators. By their own accounts, it has been a life-changing journey that enabled them to experience firsthand the joys, challenges and transformative power of teaching in remote Australia.” Professor Caroline Mansfield, Executive Dean, School of Education

“The

tour reminded me of all the reasons I chose to become a teacher.

I think our time in Derby may have genuinely changed the course of my career.”

Lily, Secondary Pre-Service Teacher

Over the week, the students visited fourteen locations, from early childhood centres to primary and high schools as well as youth centres and significant local sites. They heard from educators and community leaders about what it is like to live and teach in remote communities. They saw how teaching is delivered in these settings, including distance learning through Kimberley School of the Air and vocational pathways at Derby District High School. These experiences highlighted how teaching, learning and community life are closely intertwined in remote settings.

For third year student Sarah, the week was just the beginning of a positive experience with remote teaching. She went back to the Kimberley after the tour to do her five-week practicum at Derby District High School.

“Within the first week (of returning), I was bumping into familiar faces at the shops and having students recognise me both at school and around town, which helped me to build meaningful relationships with staff and students early on – something reflected in the positive progress feedback from my supervisor throughout my placement.” Sarah, Secondary Pre-Service Teacher

The inaugural On Country Study Tour was made possible by generous donor and partner support, giving aspiring educators firsthand insight into rural and remote education, cultural diversity and community life. ECU hopes future study tours will help future teachers see rural and remote Australia as a place they can belong.

“This program is important for our community. It helps demystify the reality of life in remote areas and vibrant spirit of remote communities and plants the seeds for future teachers to return – not just to work, but to become part of the fabric of our region.”

Tamara Clarkson, CEO, Shire of Derby/West Kimberley

Impact powered in partnership

Broome International Airport | Catholic Education WA | Derby District High School

INPEX | Shire of Derby/West Kimberley

Co-designed and delivered with four community partners

• Derby District High School

• Kimberley School of the Air

• Holy Rosary School

• One Tree Community

2,000 kms travelled

14 remote school and community visits

10 ECU students from early childhood to secondary

2 students returned to Derby for professional placements

Corporate scholarships change lives

For many students, the road to graduation is shaped not by effort alone but by whether they can afford to keep going.

ECU Bachelor of Laws student Jodi was finding it tough to juggle study, work and family commitments until she received the 2025 Dentons Aspire Law Scholarship.

Jodi’s experience reflects the reality for many ECU students. When financial pressure is high, many are forced to stretch themselves to the limit. A scholarship can ease that pressure, meaning they no longer have to choose between buying study materials and paying rent, or between attending a lecture and taking extra shifts at work. Their education changes and so does their future.

For commerce student Helen, receiving the 2025 Perth Airport Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship means being able to strive for her fullest potential.

“This scholarship has enabled me to commit to studying more units and will help ease the financial burden.”

Helen, Bachelor of Commerce

Through long-term partnerships, students can be given more than one-time assistance. Scholarships provide stability, opportunity and a pathway forward for students who might otherwise struggle to stay at university.

Jodi and Helen show what becomes possible when businesses back scholarships creating outcomes that benefit students, industry and our community.

When support lasts, possibility grows.

Impact powered by corporate support

21 students supported by corporate scholarship funding in 2025

Made possible thanks to all partners, oldest and newest

more than 29

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships

more than 10

15 years of giving Perth Airport Western Power 10 years of giving Dentons 1x Inaugural Law Scholarship established in 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships

More partners needed

832

734 students applied for a scholarship scholarships were funded students remain in need

98

“I’ve balanced single parenthood with raising three children, alongside part-time study, employment, and volunteer work. There have been challenges and often imposter syndrome. This scholarship not only alleviates financial stress but also reaffirms my goals in the legal profession. It reminds me that my journey, while unconventional, is valid, valued, and supported.”

Jodi, Bachelor of Laws student

Watch first-hand how a scholarship can make a difference to someone’s life bit.ly/Dentons-Aspire-Law-Scholarship

True equity begins before enrolment

"This support truly makes a difference in the lives of these young people, it helps to make higher education much more accessible and attainable to everyone who seeks it."

Dr Fiona Navin, Director, Access and Equity

Hear from high school students what the On Campus Experience Day meant to them bit.ly/ECU-UniPrep-Schools-CampusExperience-Day-2025

The biggest hurdle to further education is not always the application process.

It’s having the confidence and preparation to see university as a real option.

“UniPrep made me feel like my dream was possible, studying at university to become a psychologist.” Charles, UniPrep in Schools student

UniPrep can be a vital support for potential students, whether they’re first in their family to attend university or coming from outside the traditional pathways. It promotes equity in the broadest sense, helping build academic capability, familiarity and self-belief before they apply.

The program offers academic preparation alongside real experience of university life, helping students develop the skills they need and a sense of what studying at ECU is really like.

Students come to UniPrep at different stages. Some take part after leaving school, through an on-campus course designed for recent school leavers and mature age applicants.

Others chose an earlier pathway as part of the UniPrep in Schools, offered in conjunction with ECU’s partner schools. Students in Years 11 and 12 can undertake university preparation units alongside their high school courses. They develop academic skills, learn how university works and begin to see themselves as future students.

A key part of this early pathway is the UniPrep On-Campus Experience Days, where students spend time at ECU Joondalup, explore facilities and take part in discipline-based workshops alongside ECU staff and students.

“Being here at the campus today makes me feel like I can actually study music. I feel really excited about going to university.”

Edi, UniPrep in Schools student

In 2025, a dedicated UniPrep On-Campus Experience Day for students from low socioeconomic partner schools was supported by the Bendat Family Foundation. For some students, it was the first time university stopped being an idea and became a place they could genuinely picture themselves.

“There would always be those students that would struggle with ATAR and feel like they’ve lost their way. It provides an avenue to university and it also provides hope as a way of achieving their dreams.”

Daniel Winslede, UniPrep in Schools teacher

“From the moment they get accepted on the course, you see difficult behaviours change. From the moment you see them on campus, they rise up.”

Naomi Bunch, UniPrep in Schools teacher

UniPrep helps students take the first step. But for students facing financial or personal barriers, the next step can be harder: enrolling, staying on track, and completing their studies.

That is why continued donor support matters. Scholarships and other equity support help ensure that students who begin their journey through programs like UniPrep can afford to keep going and graduate with the qualifications that change the course of a life.

Impact powered by the Bendat Family Foundation

UniPrep in Schools On Campus Experience Day 2025

119 students from 9 disadvantaged metropolitan and outer metropolitan secondary schools

Expansion in 2026 to include 2 remote schools (Hedland SHS and Derby SHS) and 10 regional schools

Enhancing climate justice and disaster resilience in WA

“The toolkit provides practical guidance for organisations to prepare for climate impacts, including most importantly equitable processes for working with Aboriginal communities and people who have Lived Experience to ensure services meet their needs and honour their knowledges."

Associate Professor Naomi Godden, ECU Centre for People, Place and Planet

Community service organisations working on the ground are already seeing how climate change is impacting the people they support.

Families are facing rising food and fuel costs. People are trying to stay safe through heatwaves without secure housing. Communities are recovering from bushfires and floods while already under financial and social strain.

To be effective and equitable, organisations must ensure their policies, emergency plans and everyday services are designed with, and work for, the people most affected by climate change.

With development deeply rooted in community engagement, a new Climate Justice and Resilience Toolkit is providing community service organisations with the free online tools and resources needed to incorporate this approach into their practice.

Edith Cowan University

In a project spearheaded with support from Lotterywest, researchers from ECU’s Centre for People, Place and Planet have co-created the toolkit alongside community service organisations, Aboriginal leaders and People with Lived Experience. The focus is not on building new programs, but on strengthening the ones that already exist.

"Service providers need to be flexible when they work with community, and they need to just go and sit down with community Mob and listen. If they do that, at least they know they are going some way to meet community needs, not just paying lip service to them." Aunty/Dr Mara West, Healthy Environments and Lives Network WA Aboriginal Steering Group

The project, which has since attracted additional funding from both federal and state governments, also includes training sessions, webinars,

a community of practice and funded partnerships. These allow organisations to test what they are learning in real settings, share insights with each other and feed those lessons back into the toolkit so it continues to evolve.

By supporting community service organisations and communities to think, plan and act differently, the Climate Justice and Resilience Toolkit is helping ensure services meet the needs and honour the knowledges of people most directly affected by climate change.

View the toolkit and learn more about how this project is helping communities disproportionately affected by climate change: climatejusticetoolkit.org.au

Impact powered by Lotterywest and project partners

14,190 online toolkit views

172 members joined the Climate Justice and Community Services Advisory Network

Online toolkit promoted at the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience Conference 2025

First online community capacity building workshop series delivered

Inaugural partnership established with MercyCare WA

$800k+ in additional government funding secured

The power of community giving

Studying at a tertiary level is demanding, requiring persistence, focus and resilience. When challenges arise, it can make all the difference to know support is available.

Psychology and Counselling student Caitlen was considering dropping out of her course when she was overwhelmed by the pressure of health setbacks and mounting bills.

Then she received an Inspiring Minds Equity Scholarship.

“The road ahead felt long, dark, and full of unknowns. That's when the Inspiring Minds Equity Scholarship changed everything.”

“It lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. It gave me the space to focus on recovery, on study, and on pursuing my goals. But more than that, it showed me there are people in the ECU community who believe in students like me." Caitlen, 2025 Inspiring Minds Scholarship recipient

The Inspiring Minds Equity Scholarship program is powered by generosity from across the ECU community.

Staff, alumni and supporters contribute through payroll giving, one-off donations and community fundraising, creating a safety net for students facing financial difficulty, personal hardship or barriers to participation in higher education.

In 2025, the spirit of giving took many forms, from everyday contributions to extraordinary endurance efforts like Professor Paulo de Souza’s Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra Marathon, which raised over $16,000 for the program.

As a result, a record 31 Inspiring Minds Equity Scholarships were awarded in 2025, providing each recipient with $3,000 to help them stay focused on their studies.

Together, these contributions are helping more students feel supported not just financially, but by the knowledge that a community is behind them.

“I might be running for 24 hours and in a couple of days I’ll feel better. But that feeling doesn’t go away for our students. They have to go through an ultra-marathon to finish their studies.”

Professor Paulo de Souza on his motivation for running the 2025 Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra for students.

Impact powered by community

31 student lives transformed

$

$60k raised through staff payroll giving program

$20k raised through alumni events

$16k+ raised through Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra Marathon

Hear from more Inspiring Minds Equity Scholarship recipients, Sarah and Luke bit.ly/ECU-Inspiring-Minds-2025

ECU Impact Collective bolsters a legacy of support

One-hundred and twenty five (125) years after launching our first teaching course and forty years after nursing and midwifery education began at ECU, donors are stepping forward in a new way to support students training for these critical professions.

The ECU Impact Collective enables donors to contribute to a shared fund that divides donations between an immediate scholarship fund and a future endowment fund. The two funds provide help when students need it most, while also creating sustainable support for future cohorts.

It comes at a critical time, with a predicted shortfall of 80,000 nurses and midwives and more than 4,000 teachers over the next decade. Financial pressures mean around 12 per cent of students in these courses withdraw before their extended practicums.

“Financial barriers disproportionately impact those teaching, nursing, and midwifery students who must complete a compulsory unpaid work placement.” Elizabeth Court, ECU Impact Collective Ambassador

The Impact Collective builds on decades of donor support that has already made a measurable difference for nursing and teaching students at ECU.

“I couldn’t have gotten through my [final practicum] without this help. I would have had to juggle multiple jobs just to afford basic living expenses.”

Capel, Bachelor of Education (Secondary) 2025 Future Teachers Scholarship recipient

Since 2011, the Dorothea Swift Nursing Scholarship has been providing extended financial support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and rural students, honouring Dorothea Swift’s legacy of care in remote Aboriginal communities.

This same year marked the beginning of the Dr Susan Holland Scholarship. Established through the bequest left by former teacher and ECU executive, this scholarship has enabled 14 doctoral students to undertake research to enhance teaching quality.

The Doreen Collyer Nursing Scholarship, established in 2017, is another long-term initiative that has supported students facing significant financial pressure during unpaid clinical

placements, particularly mature-age students balancing study, work and family responsibilities.

Together, these scholarships help students like Sophie complete their studies and take up careers in areas of critical need. Sophie spent three years in the Kimberley region before her studies and hopes to return to a remote or rural location to work.

“I can now complete this course without extreme financial pressure and make a meaningful difference in healthcare,”

Sophie, Bachelor of Science (Nursing) 2025 Dorothea Swift Nursing Scholarship recipient

The ECU Impact Collective brings together people from all walks of life who share a common goal: supporting today’s students and helping create a better tomorrow.

Power of the ECU Impact Collective

3 founding members Loretta Byrd, Judith Hardie and Peter and Joelle Larsen

$225,000 raised in 2025

4 scholarships awarded in 2025 $

Impact powered by long-term supporters

Dorothea Swift Nursing Scholarships 2011-2025 30 scholarships awarded

Dr Susan Holland Scholarship 2014 – 2025 14 scholarships awarded

Doreen Collyer Nursing Scholarships 2017-2025

9 scholarships awarded

Lifelong love of the arts lives on

Paula Huston was a long-time supporter of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, deeply committed to supporting students and their craft.

A lifelong lover of classical music and live performance, she passed away in November 2025, leaving one of the most significant bequests in WAAPA’s history.

For Paula, the arts were never something to admire from a distance.

She lived near WAAPA’s Mount Lawley campus for over two decades, spending many hours enjoying student performances and delighting in seeing them grow into confident, expressive performers. She believed wholeheartedly in the importance of supporting emerging talent.

“To get into that career in Australia is extremely difficult and it’s really only philanthropy that is going to provide that. A link in the chain really is what it is.” Paula Huston

In the final chapter of her life, Paula worked with Edith Cowan University to formalise a Gift in Will that included her entire estate, valued at several million dollars. This followed her longstanding commitment during her lifetime to provide $100,000 each year to support WAAPA student scholarships.

Paula’s legacy now has a permanent place in WAAPA’s future through the Paula Huston Auditorium, one of the key spaces within the Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence at the new ECU City Campus.

It’s here that her belief in the transformative power of the arts will extend far beyond the walls that bear her name.

“Her legacy will support generations of WAAPA students whose work will enrich communities here and around the world.” Professor Clare Pollock, ECU Vice-Chancellor

In choosing to provide for WAAPA through her estate, Paula has made a powerful statement about the future she wanted to help create, and the kind of legacy worth leaving.

“Careers in the performing arts are demanding. Support like Paula’s can truly make the difference between a student stepping back or stepping forward into their potential.”

Professor David Shirley, Executive Dean, WAAPA

WAAPA Dance: Elevating excellence together

A growing community of donors is elevating excellence at WAAPA Dance by strengthening scholarships, enriching training, and expanding the experiences that allow emerging dancers to thrive. In 2025, that shared commitment brought two new donor-funded scholarships, and a new prize, enabling talented students to focus not only on their dance practice but also on their artistic vision.

“I want to be able to inspire people and continue to cultivate my love for this beautiful art form as a career.” Julia, inaugural Dr Heather Zampatti Excellence in Dance Scholarship recipient (2025)

Donor support does more than reward excellence and reduce financial pressure. It creates access to opportunities that accelerate development and strengthen professional readiness.

Fourth-year dance student Ebony was named the inaugural recipient of the Dr Maggi Phillips Scholarship in Contemporary Dance. Founded by former Head of Dance at WAAPA, Nanette Hassall AM, the scholarship recognised Ebony’s excellence as she completed her Honours program with LINK, WAAPA’s graduate dance company.

Ebony was also recognised with the new Zelinda Bafile Prize in Contemporary Dance for her outstanding contribution to LINK in 2025.

“Your support will help me in furthering my dance career. Because of you, I am able to travel to Europe next year to complete workshops and auditions.”

Ebony, Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours, LINK Dance Company

As the only graduate dance company of its kind in Australia, LINK bridges the gap between training and the industry.

Powering Scholarships & Prizes

It gives emerging dancers the experience of professional company life while still supported within WAAPA’s training environment.

Thanks to philanthropic support, LINK was able to host visiting choreographer Tara Gower to create an original work in Echogreen and third-year classical ballet students had the opportunity to work with Dutch choreographer Nils Christe and his creative partner, Annegien Sneep, to re-stage SYNC as part of the Rise mid-year dance season.

Behind the stage, LINK Dance was also funded to engage award-winning composer Rachel Dease and emerging composer and sound designer Amaru Zachariassen - both graduates of WAAPA’s music program - to collaborate with choreographers in developing original music and soundscapes for Echogreen and Echolocation respectively.

The impact that donor generosity is having on WAAPA Dance is a wonderful example of the power of giving on students and our creative sector more broadly.

• Dr Heather Zampatti Excellence in Dance Scholarships

Julia Iso and Sophia Denison-Brown, Adv Dip Professional Dance (Elite Performance)

• Jamelia Gubgub and David Wallace Classical Ballet Scholarship

Brady Leong, Dip. Professional Dance (Elite Performance)

• Dr Maggi Phillips Scholarship in Contemporary Dance

Ebony Pluess, Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours, LINK Dance Company

• Zelinda Bafile Prize in Contemporary Dance

Ebony Pluess, Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours, LINK Dance Company

Powering Creativity

• The Bass Family Foundation supported visiting artist Tara Gower who worked with LINK Dance Company on Echogreen

• Jamelia Gubgub and David Wallace supported visiting artists Nils Christe and Annegien Sneep who worked with third-year classical ballet students on SYNC, Rise dance season

• Karen Field supported original composition and sound design by Rachel Dease and Amaru Zachariassen for LINK productions Echogreen and Echolocation

WA talent shining on the big screen

Western Australia’s screen industry is flourishing, and ECU students are ready to play a role in its future.

At the WA Screen and Media Academy (WASMA), students learn industry-standard practice under real production conditions, with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. This was on full display at the 2025 postgraduate showcase, Reimagine.

WASMA students debuted their Set Ready series of short films featuring second-year acting students from WAAPA. The collaboration helps emerging performers and screen creatives bridge the gap between training and industry.

“There’s no way to learn what we are learning with theory. It’s been extremely beneficial to be there working with the camera, working with the actors and learning firsthand from industry professionals.”

Elle, Master of Screen Production student

“This collaboration between the two courses has been really good as an emerging artist. It gives us what we need to take that next step.” Michael, Bachelor of Arts (Acting) student

Reimagine also showcased three original vignettes created through a collaboration between students from WASMA and WAAPA Aboriginal Performance, made possible through the generosity of the Bass Family Foundation. These First-Nations led stories were guided by best practice industry protocols, deep listening and inclusive screen practices, with additional guidance from ECU Elder-in-Residence Nan Roma. Thanks to donor support, Aboriginal Performance students were able to take centre stage on the big screen, sharing their voices and stories.

"It was my first experience screenwriting and being on a film set. The WASMA crew loved our ideas and it was so fun to work with them and see The Department through from start to finish." Byron, Certificate IV in Aboriginal Performance student.

The showcase culminated with the announcement of the 2025 Evie Rogers-Elgar Memorial Award to the top student in postgraduate screen production, Ruby Wheeler. Established by Michelle Rogers and Alison Elgar as a tribute to their daughter who they tragically lost to cancer, their hope is that film lovers across the community will contribute to the fund and honour Evie’s legacy by supporting students that will create the future films we will all enjoy.

Collaborations and donor supported initiatives like those showcased at Reimagine are helping to power the creative industries economy in WA by producing set ready graduates – the writers, the producers, the directors and the actors – that will entertain us with stories for years to come.

Impact powered through Reimagine

25 WASMA students gained industry experience from 10 professional mentors

4 Set Ready short films featuring 16 WAAPA 2nd year acting students

3 vignettes co-created with 8 Aboriginal Performance students, made possible by the Bass Family Foundation

6 short films selected for WA Made Film Festival 2026

15 nominations in the WA Film Festival Student Awards

“Telling WA stories is really important. Making sure that WA filmmakers have opportunities like this is vital to the industry here.”

Elle, Master of Screen Production

Removing barriers, unlocking the future

The stories in this report are a testament to the drive and determination of ECU students, and to the difference donor support makes. It is at university that students commit themselves to transforming the future. Not just as individuals, but for their families, communities, and the wider world.

Almost half of ECU domestic students are the first in their families to undertake university study. Nearly a quarter of our domestic students manage parental or caring responsibilities whilst studying. Donor support does more than ease financial pressure; it reminds students that others believe in their potential and their future.

“My lived experience is a testimony to ECU's commitment to excellence in student support and experience. The Hardship Fund payment came at a point when I was desperately gasping for safety and survival. Not only did it provide financial relief, but it made me feel supported, seen and believed.”

Gloria, Master of Engineering

Why your support matters

Gloria’s experience is a powerful reminder of what donor support makes possible. Yet alongside these transformational stories, the need for support is growing.

Over the past 12 months, rising living costs, food insecurity, and housing stress have escalated across WA. For students balancing study with low income and caring responsibilities, these pressures can quickly become overwhelming. One student survey showed that 41 percent of ECU students had trouble affording food in 2025.

“I don't always eat because I make sure my family eats first.”

Postgraduate Arts and Humanities student (2025)

In response, the ECU Foundation reinstated the Student Hardship Fund in 2025 to provide targeted support at critical financial pressure points.

The "average" student at ECU is a 25-year-old mum who is juggling significant family responsibilties and often paid work in addition to study.

44% of ECU students considering leaving cited financial difficulty (QILT SES 2024)

43% of our domestic students in 2025 are the first in their family

40% have not accessed health or dental services due to cost (SSAFE Sept 2025)

34% have cut or skipped meals due to lack of money (SSAFE Sept 2025)

25% of students are working full-time while studying (79% working in some form)

23% of our domestic students are also parents or unpaid carers

13% of our students live regionally or remotely

12% of our students are living with a disability

“I hope my story serves as a model of resilience, hope and perseverance. My wish is to see this program scale and flourish because I know first-hand that such a gesture of humanity and support is a lifeline to those in dire need.”

Gloria, 2025 Hardship Fund recipient

Through the fund, students facing genuine hardship will be eligible for $1,000 or more in a lump sum payment to support urgent needs such as food insecurity, emergency accommodation, rental stress and bills, and help for students escaping unsafe or unstable homes.

The Hardship Fund is designed to help students through periods of acute pressure, so short-term hardships don’t lead to long-term disadvantages.

In 2026, we will focus on building this program so it can help more students to stay enrolled,

particularly those facing multiple barriers to participation and success.

With continued donor support, we can ensure more students have the opportunity to reach their potential and play their part in shaping a better future, for themselves and the wider world.

The power is in your hands to help a student like Gloria giving.ecu.edu.au/hardshipfund

The power of the ECU Foundation

2025 Snapshot

The outcomes below show that every donation, large and small, made a difference last year. Thank you for being part of our donor community.

$8.5M Funds received (excluding interest revenue)

$7.8M Funds disbursed

Areas that your generosity supported in 2025

The power of $7.8M worth of giving WAAPA Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence, Visiting Artist Program and other specialist initiatives

399 Donors

221,073 Alumni

$911k in alumni giving

63% Staff Payroll Giving Program participation growth >$60k in payroll giving

98 philanthropic scholarship awarded

View the full audited financials for the ECU Foundation online bit.ly/ECU-Foundation-governance

Leading the way

QILT Student Experience Survey

ECU is ranked #1 among Western Australian universities for: Overall Experience of Students, Skills Development, Student Support, and Services.

Good Universities Guide

ECU has been a long-standing Australian leader in university teaching, with 5-star ratings for undergraduate Teaching Quality for an amazing 19 years in row.

Times Higher Education Young Universities

THE Young University Rankings lists the world’s best universities aged 50 years old or younger. ECU is ranked in the top 100 in the world.

Athena SWAN

ECU has received the world-recognised Athena SWAN Silver Award for commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion for staff and students.

No.1 in Australia for top public university in Australia for Student Support Highest graduate employment rate in WA 93% of our graduates are in full-time employment within 3 years of completing their degrees

No.1 in WA for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student support and success

No.1 in WA for student support for students with disability

Your invitation to ECU City

ECU City is now open and pulsing with the energy of 10,000 students! This stunning state-of-the-art campus will reshape the Perth CBD and redefine higher education in Western Australia.

ECU City will be a place where technology, industry and creativity meet to deliver the creative thinkers, adaptive learners and global citizens who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Whether it’s for a WAAPA performance, a visit to the ECU Gallery, or just to explore the campus surrounds, we invite you to come and experience our City’s newest place for learning and community for yourself.

You are always welcome!