Our learning programs

To improve a young person’s chances to create a better economic future for themselves, research tell us it’s important for children to be engaged in school and stay until Year 12 or equivalent. But sadly not every child has the same opportunities to achieve this.

Our work focuses on Australian children in families and communities where we know it’s harder for them to fully participate in their education without some help.

Our Learning for Life program provides emotional, practical and financial support to help disadvantaged children and young people with their education. Our support starts in the early years of learning development and continues through primary and high school. Our programs help build skills, knowledge, motivation, self-belief and a network of positive relationships with parents, peers and significant others. This support increases a young person’s likelihood of remaining engaged with school, completing Year 12 and developing realistic and informed study and career pathways for life beyond the school gate.

We provide targeted support that begins early in a child’s life and continues in a balanced long-term way throughout their first two decades. For the same overall investment, this approach is far more effective than concentrating support on a particular period of young people’s lives. This approach results in increases in high school graduation and university enrollments and decreases in welfare reliance and criminal convictions.

Education is a driver of real and powerful change that can break the cycle of disadvantage. Over the last year, thanks to the support of thousands of generous Australians, and the dedication of our staff and volunteers, we provided education-oriented learning and support programs to more than 162,534 children and young people.

The Smith Family delivers our Learning for Life programs across 91 Australian communities, often out of the local school.

The communities have been identified as having higher concentrations of families living in economic disadvantage and are across all Australian states and territories.

• 85% of early-years professionals reported the Let's Count program improved capacity to work with parents/carers to support emergent numeracy of their children. 

• 97% of community professionals reported the Let's Read program increased capacity to engage families to foster children’s literacy development.

• 94% of students who participated in our student2student reading program improved their reading.

• 80% of students who participated in our iTrack mentoring program reported that they have improved their knowledge of post-school options.

• 83% of students who participated in the Passport program increased their understanding of what to expect at high school.

• 87% of Saver Plus participants were saving the same amount or more, three to seven years after completing the program.

We are grateful for all the contributions we receive. Financial resources are essential for building strong infrastructure and increasing our effectiveness and impact for children experiencing poverty, so they can build skills to change their futures.

In the five years to June 2023:

• 72% of donations from our supporters has been spent on our community programs
• 28% of our resources has been invested in the vital activities that build our continuing organisational capacity and sustainability

However, our funding allocation to community programs is just one measure of effectiveness. Another critical dimension is the positive impact our investment in resources and activities has in supporting our long-term program outcome measures.