We need to provide learning support for 18,922 children by 30 June.

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- 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.
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  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Learning for Life is an innovative, evidence-based program that supports students throughout their education to achieve positive long-term outcomes for young people experiencing disadvantage.
- 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 Give
- Sponsor a child
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  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
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  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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How supporters like you are helping students discover brilliant careers they never knew existed

17 March 2025

For a student experiencing disadvantage, hearing from adults with similar backgrounds and seeing them succeed in their chosen field can make a powerful difference. This moment can be a turning point, helping a student truly believe in their own potential and beyond the challenges they currently face.

As a Smith Family supporter, you are making experiences like this possible through our Work Inspiration program. By connecting students with real-world career opportunities, you are helping them discover some of the amazing career pathways available.

Using a hands-on approach like this means students stay engaged instead of zoning out in the classroom. Taking them to workplaces and exposing them to the world of work shows them that life after school is real, and this is what it could look like.

Eddie, Work Inspiration Program Coordinator

Recently, a group of high school students from north-west Tasmania joined our Work Inspiration program and participated in an incredible two-day journey to discover the industries that drive their community. Many of the students come from families with big financial hurdles and limited professional networks, which makes it harder for them to access career guidance and explore different pathways. Through Work Inspiration, the students gained a valuable glimpse into a broad range of careers, many of which they had never considered before. They discovered new possibilities and gained insights into future paths Work Inspiration participant they hadn’t imagined.

To begin, our Program Coordinator, Eddie, took the students on a visit to Grange Resources, a mining company. There, they saw the team working with 1300-degree smelters to turn molten metal into iron ore pellets for shipping around the world.

The next day, they visited Epiroc and Elphinstone where the students watched as massive machines – built to tackle the toughest jobs on Earth – were constructed right before their eyes.

“The most important part of Work Inspiration is making it engaging,” Eddie explains. “My role is to help students access the program. I advocate for visits to industries that interest them.”

One student in the program says: “The best thing was learning from people who have faced challenges and succeeded despite them”. Eddie agrees: “It shows students that there are many paths to success and that everyone’s journey is unique. Having access to this program showed the students that, despite the setbacks they’ve faced, they still have ability to pursue their career ambitions.”

The Work Inspiration program also helps inspire students by showcasing the variety of jobs out there “Not everyone at a mining company is a miner,” Eddie points out. “You could be an accountant, or an IT support specialist. These industries offer a broad range of opportunities that students may never imagine. It’s in moments like these that a student can have a lightbulb moment and think, “This is the job for me”.

Students living in poverty may not get a chance to see all the career opportunities available to them. Because your generous support makes this program possible, students are being motivated by what they discover in the world of work. They’re more likely to continue their education if they’re equipped with the resources and confidence they need to explore career pathways. Eddie knows access to these opportunities is life changing and will help each student to realise their full potential.

Thank you for helping students see beyond the barriers of disadvantage. You’re not just showing them jobs; you’re helping them believe they too can thrive in whatever field they choose.

Read more student and family stories in our Autumn 2025 edition of Real People, Real Stories

How the dedication of Charlotte the volunteer is helping students become proud, confident readers

17 March 2025

Christian knows what it takes to overcome barriers – that’s why he’s choosing to sponsor a student

17 March 2025

Thanks to supporters like you, gymnast Emmanouela has broken through the digital divide

18 March 2025