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- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
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  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.
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Educational program delivering strong outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Media releases

27 May 2016

During this year’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) The Smith Family is highlighting the strong educational outcomes being achieved by thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participating in its core educational program, Learning for Life.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said: “Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and communities to improve educational outcomes for children and young people is at the heart of our 2013-2016 Reconciliation Action Plan.

“Research shows that completing Year 12, or its equivalent, increases the likelihood that a young person will move into further study or employment and go on to participate fully in their community, with improved employment, health and overall life outcomes.

“Working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities, our Learning for Life program helps children to be engaged in learning through positive educational experiences, opportunities to grow skills and access to role models.”

Last year nearly 6,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families were supported by the program, which is proven to boost Year 12 completion rates and leads to improved education, employment and social participation outcomes.
Dr O’Brien said that regular school attendance was critical for achieving positive educational outcomes.

“Just last month we released new research showing strong school attendance rates for Learning for Life students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, at 87.3 percent,” Dr O’Brien said.

“This is higher than the latest Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services, which stated the national attendance rate for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students was 83.2 percent.

“Our research also showed that 12 months after completing the Learning for Life program, 72.4 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are engaged in further study, employment or training.

"We celebrate these outcomes in National Reconciliation Week."

“We know that supporting a child’s education is one of the most effective ways to help them break the cycle of inter-generational disadvantage. This is even more critical among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children where educational achievement is significantly lower than other young Australians.”

The Smith Family will be involved in and hosting a range of events across the country throughout National Reconciliation Week.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au