Hydro Tasmania Scholarship to help Tasmanian LGBTIQ+ students

LGBTIQ+ Hydro Tasmania Scholarship

Hydro Tasmania chose the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) to announce a new partnership with The Pinnacle Foundation and the annual Hydro Tasmania Scholarship, to commence in 2022.

The Pinnacle Foundation is a national charity that provides opportunities, mentoring and scholarships to LGBTIQ+ students aged 18 to 26, to support their full-time tertiary study and assist them to realise their full potential.

The Pinnacle Foundation CEO Andrew Staite said he was proud to welcome Hydro Tasmania as the state’s first corporate Gold Partner of The Pinnacle Foundation.

“People may think that since Australia achieved marriage equality, homophobia and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people has ended, but that’s not the case,” Mr Staite said.

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“National research from the LGBTIQ+ Health Australia shows that young LGBTIQ+ adults are still between five and 11 times more likely to attempt self-harm or experience psychological distress directly related to living with stigma, prejudice, discrimination, bullying and abuse.

“And research from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute shows that low self-esteem, family disruption and severe peer victimisation are all factors that make it difficult for young people to complete their education, which is a cost not only for those individuals but for society as a whole.”

“Being an LGBTIQ+ young person in an unwelcoming environment is a lived experience for many, but education is a ticket to a different life and that is why the Hydro Tasmania Scholarship will literally change—and maybe even save—lives.

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“Recipients will also be matched with a mentor from the same field, with the same gender and sexuality, providing the young person with a role model for their professional and personal life.”

Hydro Tasmania CEO Evangelista Albertini said the creation of this scholarship was an important step for the business, which will donate $50,000 for scholarships over the next three years.

“We strive to be a leader in the Tasmanian business community and that includes promoting diversity wherever possible,” Mr Albertini said.

“I have watched our business and this state grow and change for the better over many years and can say unequivocally that being more welcoming and inclusive of different voices makes all of us stronger and more successful.”

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