Three years ago, 21-year-old Phoebe Britten founded a national not-for-profit that’s reshaping access to education for young Australians: Inspire Tomorrow Education.
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Phoebe Britten was studying law at university when she says she was hit with the sudden realisation that, alarmingly, the majority of her peers came from privileged backgrounds.
“We often praise diversity, equity and inclusion in theory, yet seldom acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that without equitable access to education, these values remain superficial,” she says.
She desperately wanted to close that gap, and so Britten imagined what could happen if she built a network where students could connect to overcome barriers and realise their potential. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” she says. That idea would become the foundation for Inspire Tomorrow Education: a free tutoring and scholarship-writing support platform for disadvantaged students.
“For many students and their families, navigating the path to university can be incredibly daunting,” Britten says. “The application process, the financial load, the lack of social capital, and even just believing that higher education is ‘for them’ can be major barriers. That’s where we come in.”
My ambition is to work at the intersection of these fields – shaping global governance frameworks that place equity, ethics, and human rights at their core.
The model is fully volunteer-driven. Tutors – all university students or recent graduates – are matched with high-schoolers based on subject needs and goals. Sessions are held online, ensuring that geography isn’t a limiting factor. “Every lesson, every mentoring session, and every bit of support we offer is completely free of charge,” Britten says.
Today, the not-for-profit operates across every Australian state and territory and is powered by more than 120 volunteer tutors. The organisation has delivered over 110,000 minutes of free tutoring, valued at around $91,000 in pro-bono support. Its programs focus on students who face systemic barriers, including Indigenous, refugee, first-in-family, migrant, public housing, and rural or remote communities.
In the past year alone, Britten says the organisation has supported more than 125 high school students to improve access to tertiary education, with 100% of students reporting improved grades and a stronger desire to attend university. The initiative has earned recognition from the United Nations as an SDG Action and continues to expand through collaborations with universities and other non-profits.
Building a national organisation before turning 20 was tricky, Britten admits.
“One big challenge was understanding the legal and governance side of running a not-for-profit, especially when working with vulnerable communities,” she says.
Then there’s learning how to manage teams, maintain accountability and protect psychological safety in a volunteer-driven environment.
Finding mentors was equally important: “Being a founder can be incredibly isolating,” she says. “You’re constantly learning on the go and making decisions that carry real weight. I had to seek out people who believed in the mission and could help me grow into the kind of leader the organisation needed.”
Since launching the non-for-profit, Britten has delivered a TEDxSydney Youth talk on equitable education, represented Australia as the first Young Trade Leader at the World Trade Organisation, and was named a 2025 Vital Voices Fellow. She plans to continue pursuing a career in international law, specialising in human rights.
“My ambition is to work at the intersection of these fields – shaping global governance frameworks that place equity, ethics, and human rights at their core.”
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