Optus

14,012 children urgently need your support before 30 June.

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
  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.
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.
- Corporate partnerships
  Corporate partnerships give young Australians in need the chance to change their futures through educational support. Discover how you can join forces with The Smith Family to create a mutually-beneficial, impactful partnership.
- 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 13,000 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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Young Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds are being left behind simply because they don't have regular access to the internet. To address this, we are working with our long-standing partner, Optus, on their Donate Your Data™ initiative.

Education is increasingly reliant on the internet, and without it, some young people are unable to access the same resources and opportunities as the rest of Australia.

Through Donate Your Data, Optus and their customers are helping to close the digital divide by ensuring students and families in need can access online learning and build the skills they need to participate in our digitally connected world.

Donate Your Data provides eligible students and families on The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program with a free Optus Prepaid service with data, calls and text. They also have the opportunity to receive additional data that is donated by Optus customers.

For university student Jaidyn, support from Optus is helping him stay on track to become a high school teacher.

“Life would be a lot different without the support from Optus, because I wouldn’t have kept studying. I don't know how I would see myself,” says Jaidyn.

“When it came to doing any class activities, I sometimes couldn't connect to calls because my internet was dropping out so much.

“I’d submit an assignment at 10.30pm, see it taking ages to upload, and I’d be stressing about getting points deducted. I would have to pray that it went in before midnight.”

Studying has become more manageable since Jaidyn first received support in 2019.

“I don't have words for how helpful it's been,” says Jaidyn. “I used to have a really long commute from a regional area into the metro area, so having the ability to look at my coursework on the train has been a lifesaver for me.

“I feel kind of special when I see a message saying, ‘You've received data donated to you’. I feel privileged.”

With support from The Smith Family and Optus, Jaidyn is now working towards a P–12 Bachelor of Education, majoring in secondary education.

“I think a good education is important as it changes you as a person.

“As a teacher, I want to step up and be that change for good.”

Find out more about the Donate Your Data initiative.

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Interested in a tailored partnership built on shared value? Get in touch about a corporate partnership with The Smith Family today.