Orica

There are still 4,532 Australian children who need extra learning support by this Christmas.

Our Programs
- Literacy programs
  Providing resources and support to help children living with disadvantage achieve the required reading standard.
- Technology programs
  Providing children and young people living with disadvantage with the critical skills, access, and equipment they need.
- Numeracy programs
  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
- Mentoring programs
  Mentoring programs for students living with disadvantage that provide the encouragement they need to build aspirations for their future.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
  Our work engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in learning through education, life skills and role models, promoting culturally responsive practice.
Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- Volunteer with us
  Share your skills to help Australian children in need transform their lives through education.
- Partnerships
  Learn how your organisation can partner with The Smith Family and help build a better future for Australian children in need.
- Careers
  We aim to provide a working environment where staff and volunteers have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
- Events
  Participate in events and activities that support young Australians experiencing disadvantage.
- VIEW clubs of Australia
  Learn about VIEW, a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network with over 16,000 members, across Australia.
Ways to Give
- Sponsor a child
  Through child sponsorship, you will be matched to an Australian child in need, helping to support the cost of their school essentials.
- A gift in your will
  Ensure that future generations of Australian children have the support they need to make the most of their education.
- Monthly donation
  Become a monthly donor and provide continual support throughout all stages of a child’s education.
- Philanthropic giving
  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
- Single donation
  Your donation will help young Australians in need by providing access to our Learning for Life education support programs.
- Workplace giving
  Making small, regular donations to The Smith Family through Workplace Giving is an easy way to help change the lives of young Australians living in poverty.
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Orica

Joining forces with The Smith Family in 2014, Orica’s goal is to improve the educational prospects for children and young people experiencing inequality caused by poverty in the communities it operates in.

Having supported The Smith Family’s core Learning for Life program in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for many years, an Orica funded study in 2017 determined the need for a similar initiative in Gladstone, home to Orica’s Yarwun manufacturing plant. Launched in 2018, the Gladstone Learning for Life program represented The Smith Family’s first new community in 10 years. In 2023, Orica committed to supporting the Learning for Life program in Gladstone for another 3 years.

Our Learning for Life program helps children and young people in need succeed at school with a combination of financial, personal and practical support. Our vital out-of-school learning and mentoring programs provide access to students and are tailored to each child’s needs.

In addition to supporting our Learning for Life program, in 2017, Orica committed to supporting The Smith Family to expand and digitise our Let’s Count program. Let’s Count assists Early Years Professionals (EYP) to work in partnership with parents and other family members to promote positive mathematical experiences for young children to help develop their maths skills and language - areas critical to their future and Australia’s economic well-being. Orica helped us optimise delivery and increase the availability of the Let’s Count program via digital channels benefiting a greater number of children over time.

More recently, in our response to COVID-19, there was a need to accelerate the digitisation of programs that were well suited to online learning. Orica subsequently provided funding to digitise our Work Inspiration program; an employer-led initiative that ensures young Australians' first experience of the world of work is positive, meaningful and inspiring. Orica’s funding has enabled students to participate in the program virtually and gain exposure to workplaces across the country, including at Orica.

Through our long standing partnership Orica continues to host in-person Work Inspiration sessions for Gladstone students where information is shared about Orica staff members’ career journeys, required skills, and the possibilities available to students once they’ve completed their education.

Orica also enthusiastically supports The Smith Family through fundraising initiatives. In 2022, they raised almost $10,000 to provide gift vouchers to students in need at Christmas time, and through Orica’s matched Workplace Giving program Dare to Share, an incredible $90,000+ has been contributed since 1993.

Find out more about Orica's community program.

Interested in a tailored partnership built on shared value? Get in touch about a corporate partnership with The Smith Family today.