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.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- 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.
Login
Child Sponsorship
Donate now

Marg thinks volunteering is an extraordinary experience

Volunteers

20 November 2018

As a Corporate Responsibility Manager, Marg knows the importance of giving back. When she learned that she could volunteer to help disadvantaged students in Years 9 to 11 by becoming a mentor, she jumped at the chance. That was four years ago. And seeing the positive shifts in students keeps Marg coming back.

Through the iTrack program, mentors are carefully matched with high school students and discuss study and career options in secure, online chat sessions every week.

You don't always feel like you've made an impact, but you actually have. I remember the first student wrote to me saying, ‘You've just made such a difference to my life. I had no idea about all these different things that I could do and that you've encouraged me to do.

“If you think about the kids that The Smith Family works with, they don't get all the opportunities that other kids do because they don't have the networks. So I'm mentoring a student and once a week I chat to her online for about an hour,” said Marg.

“For me, it's about listening. It's not about telling them what they should or shouldn't be doing career-wise or anything like that. It's more about giving them ideas and a bit of encouragement and direction if they're not sure where they're going.”

Creating connections with students who lack adult mentors isn’t always easy. But for Marg, it’s hitting those breakthrough moments with students that makes the experience so special.

“I love being a mentor because it's quite a challenge. The students vary. You can get a student who knows exactly what they want to do and has their career path all sorted. Then you have students who respond with one-word answers and it’s very challenging to engage. But that’s what brings me back,” said Marg.

Marg finds the volunteering extremely fulfilling and feels well-supported by The Smith Family. She wishes to encourage others to get involved.

“The Smith Family is extraordinary. It's amazing how they run the volunteering and are so patient and kind with the mentors. They’re very supportive,” said Marg.

“Volunteering gives that opportunity to really get a sense of the broader community and how we can help in the social and economic inclusion space. I think what people get out of volunteering, you can't put it into words.”

The feeling that you get from helping someone just because you want to, not for any other reason, is extraordinary.