Impact Manager, Telepresence Robot Service at MissingSchool - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Across Australia, tens of thousands of kids with serious medical conditions are at home or in hospital, missing school. MissingSchool is dedicated to bridging the educational and social gaps experienced by these kids and their siblings by working for continuing connection to their regular school. Kids who miss school because of significant illness face a variety of challenges and may experience adverse short-term and long-term consequences. Academic achievement may be affected, school relationships disrupted, motivation and engagement diminished, and isolation from their peers can have a profound lifelong effect on their social and emotional wellbeing. MissingSchool is the first organisation in Australia primarily focussed on this cause. We support families with research, resources, strategies and helpful connections, raise awareness on the issue to inform the efforts of governments, educators, and health professionals, research on embedding systems using best practice models and enabling technology, and raise funds to achieve these objectives.