• Jetstar awards $30,000 to not-for-profit organisation, The Song Room
• Disadvantaged children to benefit from opportunity
• WA & SA community groups can apply now

Melbourne-based not-for-profit organisation, The Song Room has been awarded as the third Jetstar Flying Start Program grant recipient, receiving $15,000 cash and $15,000 in travel to be used for a ground-breaking music program for Australian primary school children.

The Song Room is a national not-for-profit organisation that brightens the futures of Australia’s most disadvantaged children with tailored, high-quality music and arts programs.

The grant will enable The Song Room to expand its music programs across the country. The charity is looking to host a school excursion for students to travel interstate to Sydney to see a live performance at one of Australia’s most recognisable cultural icons, the Sydney Opera House.

The Song Room CEO Caroline Aebersold said the team were doing star jumps of joy when they received notification their application was successful.

“This is a very exciting time for The Song Room," Ms Aebersold said.

"So many schools are being referred to us each week, and we now have the opportunity to expand our work even further as a result of this grant.

“Most commonly we work with primary schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas that don’t have access to music or arts programs. It’s amazing to see the children’s responses to the program.

“This grant will allow us to offer a special school excursion to the Sydney Opera House, which is sure to be an amazing experience for those children."

Jetstar Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Officer David Hall said every child deserves the chance to expand their world through both music and travel.

"We’re proud to be able to fly a group of school children to see one of Australia’s musical and cultural icons,” Mr Hall said.

A panel of judges including television host Gorgi Coghlan, Austereo’s Fox FM radio host Jules Lund, Jetstar Pilot Jeremy Schmidt and David Hall reviewed close to 400 worthy applications before selecting The Song Room as the grant recipient.

Entry is open to Australian not-for-profit community groups and organisations of any size. Charities, educational, health, arts and sporting organisations with a specific activity in mind are all encouraged to apply for a Jetstar Flying Start Program grant.

Applicants for the next grant close on 31 December from community groups in SA and WA.

A photo for the media’s use is available at this link.

About the Song Room

The Song Room vision is that all Australian children have the opportunity to participate in music and the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement, giving them the best possible start in life.

Independent evidence shows that The Song Room programs have an immense effect on the schools that it reaches. Results have included:

• Reduced school absenteeism by up to 65 per cent;
• Lifted students’ literacy (NAPLAN) by up to an entire year;
• Significantly improved children’s social and emotional wellbeing;
• Improved children’s capacity to concentrate; and
• Improved children’s levels of engagement with their learning.