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Mila

Mila is experiencing digital inequality;  the new frontier of disadvantage.

I grew up with chalk and dusters in the classroom. I had no idea how much school had changed. Mila needs to go online to see her homework, do research, and submit her assessments through the school portal. It would make a world of difference to her learning if she had a laptop.
Kate, Mila's mum

All children now require digital tools for school. But families experiencing poverty, often find that rising costs mean they can barely cover basics like food and rent. Many can’t afford to buy a device for their children’s schoolwork, let alone cover the ongoing costs to maintain them. 

Mila is in Year 7, and in most of her lessons, her classmates turn on their laptops and log into the online learning programs to do their schoolwork. Mila only has her pens and exercise books, and the teachers bring her a printout of the day’s exercises.  

She’s determined to hand in her Term 3 assignments on time, but because she only has her mum’s old mobile phone and the school library computers, it’s taking much longer than it should.  Mila is capable and hardworking but she’s falling behind and is constantly worried about how she’s going to keep up.  What Mila is experiencing is digital inequality and it’s the new frontier of disadvantage. 

But you can help bridge the digital divide for children like Mila. Your support will ensure they have access to the digital essentials they need to fully participate in their education and prepare them for their future careers, which are increasingly reliant on digital skills.

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I’d do anything to help Mila, but there’s just no way I can afford the technology she needs for school.
Kate, Mila’s mum
Teenage girl sitting with her mum in their home kitchen
Mila's mum goes above and beyond to support her.
Kate wants to give Mila everything she needs to thrive, but like nearly 9 out of 10 parents we support, she’s very concerned about being able to afford everything her daughter needs for school1.  

She takes every shift she can get as a disability support worker, but these days her salary barely covers necessities like rent, food, and fuel, leaving little for the school essentials Mila needs. She’s sourced second-hand uniforms and scraped enough money together for Mila to go on an excursion, but a laptop is simply too expensive. 

Lack of digital access could impact Mila’s whole future

Many take digital access for granted. For students experiencing disadvantage, digital inequality can widen the gap between them and their peers, impacting their learning and social development and opportunities for the future.

Without access to a laptop or reliable internet, Mila struggles to do research, type her assignments, and prepare for exams. She’s also unable to build the crucial digital literacy skills her classmates are developing. And because 87% of jobs in Australia now require digital literacy skills2, developing these skills is more important than ever. 

Your support will give Mila access to the digital tools she needs to keep up with her schoolwork, and also allow her to connect with her peers, boosting her motivation throughout high school. As she progresses, she'll build on her digital skills, preparing herself for success in today's fast-changing job market.

Mila will have access to The Smith Family’s highly innovative Digital Learning Essentials program, that provides the following resources: 

an icon of a laptop with a chart on the screen

Laptop

A refurbished laptop pre-loaded with key learning programs to do schoolwork.
an icon of a modem with a wifi symbol above symbolising being connected to the internet

Internet

Reliable internet access to empower online learning and research.
an icon of a computer with digital skills icons overlay search and settings, padlock for security and light bulb for learning

Digital skills

Support to expand digital skills - including how to stay safe online. 
an icon of a tech support person

Tech support

Access to a technical helpline, so nothing gets in the way of learning.
Online interactions are now such a core part of learning – and every other part of life – that digital tools are essential for every high school student.
Christine, ​​Family Partnerships Coordinator at The Smith Family
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Poverty shouldn't determine Mila's future.

The Digital Learning Essentials program will provide Mila with the access to the tools she needs for school. She'll be able to access learning programs, research and submit assignments – all on her laptop - building the skills she needs to succeed. 

As Mila builds her digital skills, these tools will help her explore career options, set goals, and work towards success in today's fast-changing job market. 

Your gift can ensure that Mila and children like her have access to these crucial resources. 

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Mila sitting in a classroom looking back
Having access to digital learning tools means Mila feels more confident and engaged with her schoolwork.

Help children Learn today and unlock a better tomorrow.

Families who participated in the Digital Learning Essentials program shared these positive outcomes: 
an icon of a computer with digital skills icons overlay search and settings, padlock for security and light bulb for learning
98% of parents reported having a device helped their children with schooling.3  
an icon of a laptop with a ticks against learning modules and a large tick showing completion
92% of parents reported an increased ability for their children to find information to complete schoolwork.3  
an icon of two devices, a phone and a laptop
87% of parents agreed that having a device helps their children communicate with their school.3 
You can help Australian children access the digital learning essentials they need to unlock a better tomorrow. Please donate today.


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Frequently Asked Questions

Some schools have laptops they can lend out to children whose families are experiencing disadvantage. But with so many more families coming under financial pressure in this tough economy, few schools have enough resources for all the children who can’t afford a device.

Currently, the requirement for laptops and the support provided is at a school level. However, schools vary dramatically in their ability to provide students with the basic digital resources they need for learning. This is primarily due to the different funding and resourcing capabilities of schools throughout Australia.

While some schools that offer a Bring Your Own Device policy may have support for student laptops, many of our partner schools are unable to provide an individual laptop to each student in need. Another requirement for digital inclusion is having home internet access. This is not a resource that schools usually offer, which means students are unable to access crucial online studying resources from home.

The Smith Family works with our families and partner schools to understand the digital inclusion needs of our Learning for Life students so we can provide the specific digital resources required. With the generous support of donors and corporate partners, we can ensure every student has a laptop device, home internet access, digital skills, safety training and technical support, so they can access vital online education and learning opportunities.

As part of our Digital Learning Essentials program, we pre-install each device we send to families with a digital safety handbook that provides crucial safety information and parental control instructions.

The digital safety handbook takes parent/carers through a step-by-step guide to online safety around the common cyber threat of scams, online bullying, inappropriate content, social media addiction and more. There are also conversational points for parents/carers to discuss online safety and the risks and challenges children might face on the internet.

Parental control step-by-step instructions are included in the handbook alongside screenshots as a visual guide. Parents are also advised to set up time limits (this can be done on the device), block age-inappropriate sites and to filter different types of content. In addition, many social media sites, games and apps come installed with parental controls that extend to all Windows, Android and Apple Devices.

The Smith Family also provides parents/carers with ongoing safety support through the Learning for Life Help Centre that includes a free call number, email, a chat bot and online tech support articles. The digital safety information follows the guidelines from leading eSafety resources:

The Smith Family’s goal is for all Learning for Life students to be digitally included by June 2027. This means that every student is able to access a laptop device, reliable internet at home, and resources to improve digital literacy and safety skills.

With the initial roll out of devices, The Smith Family will prioritise students on a needs basis and consider:

  • Number of students within the family without access to a device
  • Students transitioning to high school who do not have access to a device
  • Students from Year 4 (when schools often introduce Bring Your Own Device ) and Year 10 (compulsory years of schooling)

The Smith Family also asks families on an annual basis to update their Digital Status on our family portal called My Smith Family. This includes providing the number of devices and type of home internet connection.

This helps us to understand what digital resources families have so we can monitor delivery effectively.

The cost of digitally including a student varies widely, as it’s based on the digital needs of each individual student. These needs will consider whether a student requires a laptop device, has a home internet connection, their internet data package, the digital literacy skills of students and parents, and the ongoing technical support required. The combination of components required will determine the overall cost to digitally include a student.

The average cost of providing Digital Learning Essentials to a student is $770. This covers the cost of providing a laptop, delivering internet data for a year, providing digital literacy and safety skills, as well as supporting students with ongoing technical support.

Your generous donation goes towards ensuring every Learning for Life student (including your sponsored student) has the digital tools and resources they crucially need for school.

We are rolling out the Digital Learning Essentials program on a needs basis, prioritising those students who need it most. We prioritise based on the age of children and their digital inclusion needs – considering whether a student currently has access to a computer device, their home internet connection and data package, their digital skills level and the technical support required.

With the extra support of caring donors, we can reach our goal of digitally including all our Learning for Life students by June 2027.

* Mila's name, location and associated images have been changed to protect their identity.
1The Smith Family Pulse Survey (2023)
2Ready, set, upskill: Effective training for the jobs of tomorrow, RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics, 2021.
3The Smith Family Annual Report Program Outcome Summary 2022/23