Back to School Appeal
3,000 deserving kids across Australia urgently need support
When a child attends school without things like a school bag, books, or the right sports gear or uniform, they find it difficult to participate. Worse still, they may be shunned and ridiculed by other students. For some, this sets up a pattern of underachievement and social isolation that can last the rest of their lives.
Right now there are 680,000 disadvantaged Australian kids living in homes where no parent is working1. Many will find themselves worse off in this tough economic climate. They already know they'll find it hard to fit in. And that they'll struggle to keep up. Sadly, there will also be kids who will learn this lesson for the very first time.
You can help by sponsoring a child today. Or if you are unable to sponsor a child at the moment, we would welcome your donation to the Back to School appeal.
You can help break the cycle of disadvantage
Research shows that supporting a child's education is one of the best ways to break the cycle of disadvantage. When a child has the things they need to participate, their confidence and outlook improves, and they are far more likely to reach their full potential.
You can support a child's education for less than $1 a day. This sum provides one child with the essential school items they need, plus access to a network of further support. We currently need the following sponsors:
- Primary school students = $27/month or $324/year
- Junior secondary students = $35/month or $420/year
Your sponsorship is 100% tax deductible and 100% of your contribution directly benefits your sponsored child. More than 63,500 disadvantaged kids have benefited from our sponsorship program which provides complementary support so they can develop the skills they need for their journey through life including:
- Literacy support that helps children develop their comprehension, numeracy, digital, financial, health and emotional literacy skills.
- Personal support, which includes formally structured mentoring, tutoring and coaching as well as access to social, sporting and cultural activities such as camps to support physical, social and emotional development.
- Financial support to assist families with the purchase of school uniforms, shoes, books and other education related expenses, including extra-curricular activities such as class excursions and outings.
If you're unable to sponsor a child right now, but would still like to help, your donation to the Back to School appeal will make a difference.
What you receive as a sponsor
When you become a sponsor, you will receive:
- Your New Sponsor Welcome Kit - containing all the necessary information about your sponsorship.
- Your student's Profile - completed by your student to introduce themselves to you. This is updated annually.
- Our newsletter - Real people, real stories with stories about the success of the sponsorship program and the impact your support is having for thousands of disadvantaged Australian families.
You can also write to your student - many sponsors and their students find this an extremely rewarding part of the program. As you are sponsoring an Australian child, surnames, addresses and photographs cannot be shared.
Hear from our students
As a teenager growing up in Sydney's south west, becoming a lawyer wasn't something twenty three year old Karen ever thought too seriously about. In 2004, Karen graduated from the Learning for Life program and is now working at a prestigious Sydney law firm. Read more success stories about Karen and other students like her.
Direct Debit Service Agreement
* References: 1. ABS data available on request. Survey of Income and Housing, 2005-06.
