We’re committed to change

Creating a space for all to succeed

When we first founded Academy Xi, we had a vision to use our education model to take responsibility for creating a positive, lasting impact on the world. Via Xi Act, we’re committed to creating a space where the future of work, entrepreneurship and innovation that is available to all, regardless of circumstance.

Working alongside many global and local organisations, we’ve co-created and supported a number of initiatives that have positively and directly impacted the people we’ve supported. Our commitment to Xi Act is central to all the decisions we make as our company grows.

From inception, the very core of Academy Xi has been about building a community of change-makers. Educating a new wave of talent in the broad, emerging fields of design and technology has seen literally hundreds of past students find new, more rewarding and meaningful work as a result of taking our courses.

Not merely a commercially centred Community, we’ve injected Purpose into our very DNA in a number of ways:

Integrating NFP client work

To boost student outcomes, we regularly integrate client work from not-for-profits into student learnings. Not only do the students gain real world experience and a portfolio piece, the not-for-profit accesses support that they may not otherwise be able to afford.

Scholarships and event support

Looking at a number of themes around disadvantage, we’ve offered support from generous discounts through to fully funded scholarships for many organisations including:

• TechReadyWomen
• Isobar Good
• Unicef
• WWF
• Girls in Tech
• Code Like A Girl
• TechFugees
• OpenIdeo
• Remarkable
• HeadSpace

Digital Transformation for not-profits

In a recent partnership with Telstra Foundation, we won a program to take 15 not-for-profits on a Digital Transformation Journey – an ambitious and successful program that was held concurrently in Sydney and Melbourne.

Beginning in March 2018, the first stage, a 5 month in-class and online program, this phase completed at the end of August 2018. As Academy Xi was part of the process in selecting the 15 organisations, we and the Telstra team voted for organisations that we felt could make an even greater impact via digital. The wonderful not-for-profit organisations that were selected for the program are:

• Autism CRC
• Big hART
• CanTeen
• eOrygen
• Expression Australia (formerly Vicdeaf)
• Infoxchange
• National Centre of Indigenous Excellence
• National Children’s & Youth Law Centre
• Raise Foundation
• Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children
• Settlement Services International
• SYN Media
• The Alannah & Madeline Foundation
• Top Blokes Foundation
• Vision Australia
• Youth Junction

As part of our ongoing support for these not-for-profits, they have each received a 1-person scholarship to continue their learning journey in Digital Transformation.

Individual scholarships

Troi (Xi & Isobar)

Troi is an indigenous youth who won our first scholarship with Isobar Good. When asked why she wanted to do this scholarship, her replies were:

• She values lifelong learning
• She wanted to shatter indigenous stereotypes
• She wanted to show her indigenous peers in Bendigo that they had a choice to remove themselves from the trap of drugs and alcohol

She excelled in class and is now doing incredible work with Isobar as a UX Designer and content strategist. Xi will continue to work with her directly to support her community

Andrew (Xi + Talent RISE + AGL)

Andrew was a student we met in Melbourne in 2018. Having listened to his story and seeing that he had every opportunity in the world, if we could help him break through some very powerful limiting self-beliefs, we accepted Andrew into our second full time UX course in Melbourne on the proviso that he attended all classes and completed all coursework.

What we witnessed by week 5 was astounding; he’d not only attended every class, he emerged from his self-imposed reclusive barriers and become confident, happy and very capable as a UX designer. His leadership team were stunned that could literally transform after 10 weeks of being at Academy Xi

As one of his peers stated in her feedback about our course:

Through this course, you not only learn skills to become a UX Designer, but you also learn skills on how to become a better person.