The gift of giving: IEU member’s charity
In 2019, IEU member Andrea McKellar set up a unique not-for-profit charity, Teacher Presence, which redeployed money spent on the traditional end-of-year teacher present to causes which help people whose voices are struggling to be heard.
‘I love the sentiment of students and families giving me a gift,’ Andrea told The Point in 2021, ‘but I don’t need another mug, candle, or box of chocolates. I really just thought that the money parents spend could be used to help others’.
That simple, noble thought led to a burgeoning organisation.
‘Teacher presence is all about empathy, kindness and gratitude,’ says Andrea.
That wonderful ethos is now captured by a mission statement: “To create a community of educators that spread the importance of empathy and gratitude through the gift of giving. We do this by helping redirect money that would otherwise be used for the optional end of year teacher gifts from families. This allows us to lead by example and show our students the impact of giving to others in need”.
Teacher Presence provides all the resources necessary for a school to participate in the program and 100% of donations go straight to the charities Teacher Presence is aligned with.
When it started, Teacher Presence partnered with Operations Toilets in India, its donation supporting the building of facilities that allowed some girls to attend school for the first time. In 2020, they added the Berry Street School and Eat Up charities to their roster.
‘We have received some very heartfelt and inspiring messages from teachers and families. Teachers can make a real impact not only with the children they teach but also in the greater community and world’.
TEACHER PRESENCE IN 2024
Andrea updates us on her unique charity.
What has changed for the organisation since 2021?
We have definitely grown since 2021 and we are certainly starting to talk to more schools, educators and organisations to help promote our message.
Early this year, we looked at what really are the driving forces underpinning our charity. It came down to gratitude, empathy and kindness.
I know I am very grateful for my place in this world, for my job with children, for my family and for the life I lead. Not everyone has these privileges: The Teacher Presence team are driven by this social injustice.
Though I love the sentiments behind the gifts, it is so cool that together with students’ families we as educators can help those less fortunate.
New website, videos
We have had a new website designed which we are so thrilled with. The navigation around the site is more fluent and the site easily informs users (whether it be school staff, schools or families) how to be part of the Teacher Presence movement.
We have also had some videos produced. To do this, we needed to raise money. The 2023 Community Grants Programs from Bendigo Bank for East Ringwood and Croydon was significant in raising some of these funds and we organised a Teacher Presence golf day for family and friends which was a huge success. My husband and I are also very fortunate to have amazing family who have supported Teacher Presence from the start.
This video tells the viewer how Teacher Presence works and our philosophies around the charity.
What is the reaction from parents and students to Teacher Presence?
Sometimes the reaction is overwhelming. Parents are thrilled for a number of reasons. They can see that by being part of Teacher Presence they are part of a bigger story. That 100% of their donations go to help others. They love the fact that their staff member chooses to be part of Teacher Presence. It is the staff member saying to them, "Let's do this together, let's help others".
Parents also see that we are modelling the teachings of social justice and they and their children want to be part of this.
From a parent: “Teacher Presence is a ‘win-win-win’. Firstly, it provides a great way to thank teachers for the wonderful impact they have on our children, secondly your donation goes to support fantastic charities doing wonderful work in our community and thirdly, we can teach our children about the importance of ‘paying it forward’.”
From a student: "Teacher Presence is a great idea! I was able to thank my teacher for how much she helped and supported me and at the same time, donate to a charity that needs our help. It made me feel great knowing that my gift was going to help people in need."
From a teacher: "As a teacher, I hope to inspire a strong sense of social justice and the belief that small actions can make a difference. By signing up to Teacher Presence, I empowered families to make a meaningful contribution to a fantastic cause (Berry St).
“Instead of coming home with a car full of chocolate, alcohol, candles and trinkets, I knew that something worthwhile had been achieved.”
What have been the unexpected outcomes from being involved with Teacher Presence?
As a teacher, I have discussed and informed my students about Teacher Presence. I have read them sections of the book, Toilet Warrior by the founder of Operation Toilets, which tells the heartbreak of students attending schools in India that don’t have toilets and how this impacts females getting a much-needed education.
After talking about this, my Grade 5 and 6 students instigated the talks at home about Teacher Presence. They understood the impact they could have by not giving me a candle, but instead helping girls in India get to school, or helping hungry students in Australia receive a lunch (Eat Up) or helping vulnerable students get back to school (Berry Street). It's pretty cool.
It's been lovely seeing peoples' reactions to the simple and effective way we are able to redirect money in a positive and worthwhile way.
I do get very humbled by peoples' reactions and I am so very grateful for everyone’s support and encouragement.
I have also loved the feedback from the charities we support. I think it's really important to keep the school staff and families informed of how their donations impact the lives of others. We do this through social media, our blog and newsletters.
Have increased cost of living pressures affected your organisation?
Not that I can tell at this point.
Any donation is wonderful. Whether it be a few dollars or more. Every cent makes a difference to those less fortunate than ourselves and every cent goes to the charities that Teacher Presence aligns to. Teacher Presence does not take any money donated.
What have you learnt from running Teacher Presence?
That some things are challenging and overwhelming but they are also so very worth it. I love the fact that we are helping others and that we are sharing kindness.
I have also learnt to get the right people around you. Have people that have different strengths and talents but the same vison. Having like-minded people run Teacher Presence makes it uplifting and heartfelt.
I have also embraced being vulnerable. We ask people to help for free, to design for free, to consult for free. As we say, everyone gets the same pay cheque: $0.
We are vulnerable (but courageous) when we reach out to potential schools, school staff, and organisations. I have learnt to embrace this feeling and run with it!
What are your goals for Teacher Presence? Do you set targets?
At this point in time, our target is to inform people of the initiatives of Teacher Presence and to get more educators, families and schools on board.
We are proud of what we have set up and achieved to date and now our main push is to get more people on board, so as a group of people we can make a difference in the lives of others. Teacher Presence is a gift that makes a difference.
How do you expand awareness of Teacher Presence?
social media
word of mouth
our revamped resources page, which includes a podcast my husband and I did
videos
giving talks
articles and advertisements in such organisations as the IEU: we are so very grateful for any support and awareness that organisations such as yourselves are able to provide.
Contact Teacher Presence
Teacher Presence is easy to activate and run in a school/organisation. There is a resources page on our website that has posters, presentations, videos, an animation, letters to parents, letter templates, newsletter content, images, and ideas for implementing Teacher Presence. It's all there ready to go.
Our website now clearly spells out what schools need to do, what teachers need to do and what families need to do.
We are also very happy to talk to schools and school staff about Teacher Presence and how it operates. They just need to reach out on our website, where they can book a meeting or email us at contactus@teacherpresence.org