Orica : Back to school with The Smith Family in 2019

24 Jan 2019

As students in Australia begin the 2019 school year, it's important to remember the significant difference education makes in people's lives.

That is why we are so passionate about supporting children's education, and why we have teamed up with The Smith Family here in Australia.

The Smith Family is a national, independent children's charity that helps disadvantaged young Australians to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves.

We have partnered with The Smith Family since 2014 through their flagship Learning for Life scholarship program. The Learning for Life program offers a range of targeted support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and is proven to improve their educational outcomes, helping students throughout their educational journey, including in the transition from high school into further studies, training or employment.

The Smith Family helps disadvantaged young Australians to get the most out of their education

We first supported the Learning for Life program in the Pilbara in 2014, and last year we were proud to be the founding partner of The Smith Family's Learning for Life program in Gladstone, Queensland. There are now 154 students already on Learning for Life scholarships in the Gladstone region, with a target of 200 students by the end of 2019.

Our support of the Learning for Life program in the Pilbara continues to this day and this is also the third year we have supported the digitisation of The Smith Family's Let's Count program. Let's Count supports parents and early years' educators to develop the maths skills of the children in their care, by noticing, exploring, and talking about numbers, counting, measurement and patterns in their daily lives.

Digitising this training allows The Smith Family to optimise the delivery and increase program availability, thus increasing the program's reach.

We wish all students in Australia and across the world the very best for their 2019 school year, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged young Australians through our partnership with The Smith Family.