How a Small Nonprofit Reached 125,000 Teachers Across Australia
The Backstory
Ochre Education is a national nonprofit with a clear mission: close Australia's educational disadvantage gap. The numbers are stark — students from disadvantaged backgrounds are three times more likely to fall below minimum standards, and 85% of teachers don't have access to high-quality, ready-to-use curriculum materials. The schools that need them most are the least likely to have them.
What Was Getting in the Way
- Deep educational inequalities that affect student outcomes across the country
- Teachers spending hours every week creating materials from scratch
- Disadvantaged schools half as likely to have shared curriculum resources
- A national-scale need for evidence-based, curriculum-aligned materials
What They Were Hoping For
- Get free, high-quality curriculum resources into the hands of every Australian teacher
- Build expertly sequenced materials that align with Australian curriculum standards
- Support teachers with professional learning, not just downloadable worksheets
- Save teachers time so they can spend more of it with their students
How Ruzuku Fit In
What Clicked
Ochre needed a way to deliver professional learning at scale — thousands of educators across Australia — without getting bogged down building custom technology. Ruzuku's simplicity let their team stay focused on curriculum development, while the community features helped teachers learn from each other across state lines.
What They Built
The team built several professional learning programs: whole-school curriculum planning, novel study development, and knowledge-building writing courses. Each one combines online learning with one-on-one coaching, and they support teachers across every level from Foundation to Year 10.
The Tools That Helped Most
What Changed
Ochre now reaches teachers in 93% of schools across some Australian territories, with 125,000+ teachers using their resources. 82% rate the materials as high or very high quality. Teachers save an average of 2.5 hours a week — time that goes back to their students.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers Using Resources | Startup phase | 125,000+ |
| Schools Supported | Initial pilot | 8,600+ |
| Resource Library | Concept stage | 12,800+ resources |
| Quality Rating | N/A | 82% high/very high |
Timeline: From founding to national scale, now supporting teachers in every Australian state and territory
"The Ochre resources are excellent. Great resources, thanks for developing these. We have very limited time to develop these ourselves so you save us some time!"
Lessons Worth Sharing
Free resources plus paid professional learning is a sustainable model for nonprofit impact
Good curriculum materials boost both teacher confidence and student outcomes
Community features help educators learn from peers they'd never otherwise meet
A simple platform lets a nonprofit stay focused on mission, not technology