Declan gave books a second chance and found joy in the pages

23 August 2022

At age 10, Year 5 student Declan would tell anyone who’d listen he hoped to be a policeman one day. But Declan’s mum Cassandra felt worried about his reading problems and low confidence. Both could block him from his dream.

Cassandra was unable to support Declan’s learning as much as she’d like, especially with reading, which he didn’t enjoy. “Declan’s biological father is dyslexic, and we suspect this got passed on to him too,” she says.

When Declan received sponsorship through our Learning for Life program, Cassandra was impressed by the range of extracurricular activities he could join to help him catch up and keep up. “I thought the programs were excellent,” she says.

Through our Digital Access program, made possible by our philanthropic partners, Declan received a free laptop. This helped him stay connected to his class during lockdowns.

“At the time, I was struggling to even cover our groceries and petrol, so we really couldn’t afford an internet connection,” says Cassandra. “But Declan also received free WiFi through The Smith Family. That made a massive difference to us".

Even so, remote lessons were tough for Declan and his learning suffered setbacks. “I was so relieved when he could finally go back to school,” Cassandra says. It was then Declan decided to join student2student, our out-of-school reading peer support program.

Declan was paired up with his buddy Matteo. Matteo would call Declan twice a week to chat, listen to him read and help him sound out hard words. “Suddenly, Declan was falling in love with reading,” says Cassandra.

In the two years since, Declan has moved up six reading levels at school and, remarkably, will read anything and everything! “I read before bed and in the morning at school with my class. I love Harry Potter, fantasy, and adventure books,” Declan says.

Cassandra loves that she can connect anytime with Declan’s Learning for Life Coordinator Sarah to help him access our learning support programs. “Our lives have changed dramatically since Declan got sponsored. We feel so supported and Declan can do much more than before,” says Cassandra.

In fact, now Declan’s reading confidence is spilling over into other subjects like art, science, and sport. “I am enjoying school now because I know a lot more words,” Declan says.

Not only can Declan access our student2student program, he now has the learning essentials he needs for school. “It is so great that my sponsor helps me be able to do school sport and have a uniform like every other kid,” Declan says.

As a sponsor, this is how you could disrupt disadvantage, helping your student take small but crucial steps to achieve their long-term aspirations.

“Thanks to his sponsorship, he has self-pride in wearing his uniform,” Declan’s Learning for Life Coordinator Sarah says. “Having access to these programs – all of those things combined has really changed his outlook as a young student.”

“I’ve wanted to become a policeman since I was a little boy, and that’s still my dream,” says Declan. “My mum and teacher are so proud of me for how far I’ve come.”

Our lives have changed dramatically since Declan got sponsored. We feel so supported and Declan can do much more than before.

Cassandra, mum of Declan, Learning for Life student

Declan gave books a second chance and found joy in the pages

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