Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs A year of students shining brightly
31 October 2023
That feeling of putting on a uniform, being a part of a school, playing and doing activities with confidence. It matters for any student. Your support has given many children the ability to overcome the barriers caused by poverty and experience the powerful feeling of hope for a brighter future. Their confidence in themselves grows. Their pride swells. And they have the space to make the most of their education.
Through the power of education, more students in Australia have the chance to choose their futures thanks to the wonderful generosity of supporters like you.
Through the power of education, more students in Australia have the chance to choose their futures thanks to the wonderful generosity of supporters like you.
This year, your support has meant:
- 162,534 children accessed The Smith Family out-of-school educational programs, helping them to catch up and keep up with their peers.
- 62,822 students were equipped with school essentials through sponsorship.
Through the many student stories this year, we’ve heard how tailored support has helped students access the school essentials they need to reach their potential at school and create the opportunity to change their futures.
Looking back on some of these stories, we heard how reading with a buddy through student2student helped Zac discover the fun in learning to read. His confidence grew through the program, then his interest took off when he discovered there were books about reptiles – and he could read them! Like the lizard facts book which his Mum was overjoyed to be able to gift him.
You generously supported 239 Learning Clubs which saw 2,537 students enjoy building skills in a relaxed and fun environment outside of school. You may remember reading about Evenezer, who moved from Eritrea to Australia at age 10. His local Learning Club helped him with speaking English so he could participate more fully in Australian school. Evenezer was the first in his family to graduate and is reaching dizzying heights studying a Bachelor of Business Management and Innovation. We’re excited to see his future inventions that achieve his dream to help people and the environment.
Like Evenezer, we’re always looking to the future. What’s next? With digital literacy becoming more and more essential, your support also went towards helping students gain access to digital technology and training through the Young ICT Explorers Accelerator program. This year, with your amazing support, we worked with students from 40 partner schools to help them overcome the barriers to digital access caused by poverty.
We also learnt from former Learning for Life student Prue that access to the things that help a child stay engaged with education is life changing, and it’s not always just computers, books and uniforms. For Prue, when she was a young student, that meant the art supplies that allowed her to explore her creativity and stay motivated throughout school. Those art supplies sparked a passion for creativity and design, which she went on to study at university. Now a treasured part of our team, Prue has a special message for you:
“Your support really does help to make a difference. Education was my lifeline to work towards my goals – your support is helping other students achieve this too.”
Know you’ve made a difference for a lot of families. Thank you for being a part of giving children meaningful access to education this year.
