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.
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- Ways to fundraise
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- 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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Building confidence to succeed

Students on programs

25 March 2015

Emma grew up surrounded by the effects of generational disadvantage. With no one to seek advice from at school or home, Emma started to lose hope. In Year 10, she joined The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program where she received sponsorship and took part in the iTrack online mentoring program. This combined support empowered Emma to go on to university and become a lawyer.

Emma, Learning for Life student — Learning for Life graduate, Emma

The financial barriers [of education] are both obvious and obstructive…but students like me also need to be inspired and have role models to follow and seek advice from [at such an important decision time for our future],

says Emma

“My mother was doing her best to raise two smart girls on her own. We were financially stressed and I worked part-time to help out. Nobody I knew – not a family friend or a distant relative – had been to university,” says Emma.

Emma first became involved with The Smith Family when she was in Year 10, where she received financial support for school essentials like uniforms, text books and school equipment. She was also paired with a mentor as part of the iTrack online mentoring program.

“The financial barriers [of education] are both obvious and obstructive…but students like me also need to be inspired and have role models to follow and seek advice from [at such an important decision time for our future].”

“iTrack helped me with that first obstacle – finishing high school. My score broke records at my disadvantaged school and I was offered a place at university.”

“The Smith Family understood that wasn’t the end of our journey. University is expensive and coming from a disadvantaged background, I was lacking a professional network, which is important in establishing a career.”

At university, Emma was again matched with a mentor – one from her desired field, who provided career advice and support. Encouraged by his unshakable belief that she could do anything she put her mind to, Emma switched from studying journalism to the pursuit of a law degree. After she graduated in 2013, Emma began her career at Victorian Legal Aid and was recently admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria.

“With The Smith Family’s support I have had some amazing opportunities. During my law degree I interned for Congress in Washington DC. Each day I was there, I was struck by how unimaginable this would have been to my 15-year-old self.

“The effects of The Smith Family extend well beyond my own career. Shortly I will be training to become a mentor to another young law student receiving The Smith Family’s support.”

The effects of The Smith Family extend well beyond my own career. Shortly I will be training to become a mentor to another young law student receiving The Smith Family’s support,

says Emma