When her son survived a traumatic illness, Megan Gilmour vowed to support the 1.2 million Australian children at risk of missing school due to chronic medical and mental conditions.
Leveraging her lived experience and work across 24 countries, Megan co-founded MissingSchool to keep these students connected to school, learning alongside their peers, from hospital or home.
In 2015, she co-authored Australia’s first national report on school isolation, initiating a Commonwealth report in 2016. Her 2017 Churchill Fellowship across six countries started the world’s first telepresence robot service, reconnecting over 7,000 Australian classmates in real-time.
A Deakin University Honorary Fellow and Alumnus of the Year, Megan’s 2021 policy proposal for improved data and systematic support was accepted by the Commonwealth.
Megan drives a campaign to sustain school connection for children’s wellbeing, reaching 14.1 million Australians in 2024. She now champions "learn-from-anywhere" globally as vital school policy for students unable to attend physically.