Abstract
In 2008–2010, the Australian Government’s social inclusion agenda and the Bradley Review of Higher Education profiled the importance of education for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This education needs to be transformative in both its nature and its outcomes. The Clemente Australia program is presented here as a means of providing such transformative education for people who are disadvantaged or socially isolated. This case study of Clemente Australia shows how the program is built upon a psychology of hope and provides pathways not only to new hope but also to a new sense of identity and independence. 
 
 Clemente Australia (CA) is an example of community embedded, socially supported university education (CESS). Essential elements of CA are respecting people for who they are and for where they are within their individual life journeys; building student capacity to be more proactive in reflecting upon and engaging with the world; learning with and relating to others; and promoting educative justice through the recognition of the students’ human rights to participate in tertiary education in a way that meets their personal and academic learning needs.
 
 For the students, the university (Australian Catholic University) and other partners in CA, it is evident that there has been an ongoing shift from dependence upon the provision of materials and services to empowerment and enhanced capabilities in identifying the supports and processes required to meet the personal and professional needs of students, staff and community agencies. This shift has occurred through the scaffolding processes provided, the establishment of innovative partnerships and purposeful reflection. It has involved listening to one another, welcoming people into new worlds and challenging one another in the provision of transformative education to realise the fulfilment of hope for many Australians experiencing disadvantage.
 
 key words: transformation; education; community; hope; homelessness; disadvantage
Highlights
The importance of the role of education in assisting people to move beyond disadvantage is based upon positive correlations between education and the health, resilience and wellbeing of people (Hammond 2002, 2004; Hartog & Oosterbeek 1998; Marmot & Wilkinson 1999; Ross & Mirowsky 1999)
We suggest there are three central elements to transformative education: ——appropriate strategies: the ‘scaffolding’ processes provided ——innovative partnerships: the collaboration of committed partners from community, academe, corporate and government sectors ——purposeful reflection
From the commencement at one East Sydney site in 2003 with 11 homeless students, Clemente Australia (CA) enrols more than 130 students who are experiencing disadvantage and social isolation each semester
Summary
The number of Australians who are experiencing disadvantage, homelessness and marginalisation is increasing (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006; Saunders & Wong 2009; St Vincent de Paul Society 2007). The ‘scaffolding’: Community Embedded, Socially Supported Education Clemente Australia engages people who are disadvantaged or socially isolated in university (humanities) education within community agency settings with access to professional welfare support and facilitated access to a diverse range of services Important dimensions of this community embedded, socially supported university education (CESS) include: ——permeability of boundaries between the education centre and other elements of students’ lives ——greater openness of lecturers and tutors to students and their lives ——informal and supportive culture of CESS education for course participants. The MOU details the vision and goals of the program, the shared values base, and the role and commitment of each of the organisations The collaboration within this CESS university education (see Table 1) is structured to assure the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of the program for Clemente Australia students in ways that achieve the goals or missions of the individual organisations, as well as contributing to community social capital and wellbeing
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