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.
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Child Sponsorship
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Growing Careers Project

This program gives young people the opportunity to acquire what they need to thrive post-school by enabling them to participate in multiple career programs.

Research shows that young people who can recall four or more encounters with the world of work, while at school, are far more likely to be in work, training or study in their 20s.

The Smith Family’s Growing Careers Project is supported by funding from the Australian Government through the Department of Education

We are calling for local business and industry representatives to share their experience, showcase the real world of work and bring the theory to life – to inspire students to dream big about their futures!

How does the Growing Careers Project work?

The Growing Careers Project offers over 76,000 places for students to participate in multiple career programs across their secondary school journey. These could encompass anything from a short career-focused activity, to several weeks of one-on-one mentoring via an online platform – or spending a few days in a workplace.

The Smith Family will follow student participation across the five years of the project (2021-2025) in close collaboration with a number of schools across the country, to understand how they’re progressing in their education. We’ll look at what’s resonating with the students from a careers’ perspective and what more we can do to support their career pathways when they leave school.

Stories from the Growing Careers Project

Talon's story

Talon learnt about careers he didn't even know existed.

David's story

Getting careers education right can make all the difference – how the Growing Careers Project is opening new doors for students.

Why is this project important?

• Young people’s involvement in work, training or study post-school is heavily influenced by what happens to them in school.¹

• Young people living in disadvantage are less likely to complete Year 12 and less likely to be in work, training or post-school study than their more advantaged peers.²

• Employer engagement while still at school has a positive impact on academic results, student motivation and student aspirations.¹

iTrack mentoring

SmArts

Work Inspiration

^1. It’s Who You Meet: Why Employer Contacts at School Make a Difference to the Employment Prospects of Young Adults by Dr Anthony Mann, Education and Employers Taskforce, 2012

^2. OECD (2018) Education at a Glance 2018: OECD Indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing.

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