By Matthew Sims
Berwick’s Emma Kirschner’s has taken one step closer to achieving her dreams to work in a police lab, thanks to The Smith Family’s Learning For Life education support program.
The former Shepparton High School student joined the program in Year 7 due to her high attendance record and has now transitioned into The Smith Family’s tertiary scholarship program.
The Learning for Life education support program provides financial assistance from a sponsor to help families meet the cost of school essentials like uniforms, books and excursions, support from a Learning for Life Program Coordinator to connect the child and their family to local learning opportunities and other supports and access to The Smith Family’s out-of-school mentoring and educational programs to help children get the most out of their school years.
Now 21, Emma has begun her preparations to tackle a Bachelor of Science at Swinburne University, towards working within forensic science with goals to carry out lab work in a police environment, while also pursuing her art as a side passion.
“It was incredibly helpful,” she said.
“It just allowed me to explore my creative side.
“My family was struggling a bit at the time.”
The program has also been possible thanks to the support of Officeworks’ Back to School appeal.
“It’s been my second home at this point,” Emma said.
The Smith Family chief executive Doug Taylor said they were aiming to increase their sponsorship base from 62,000 to 100,000 by 2027, so even more of the one in six young Australians living below the poverty line today can receive support.
“Learning for Life, which is enabled by generous Australians, is a game changer; it means that every child we help can access what they need to make the most of their education.
“Our research shows that 85 per cent of students on our support program who were in Year 12 in 2020 were in education, employment, or training two and a half years after leaving school, so we know our program has a long-term positive impact.”
More than 2200 families responded to an annual survey carried out by The Smith Family, with 88.3 per cent of respondents indicating they were worried to some degree about being able to afford all school supplies their children would need in 2024.
Mr Taylor said educational supplies were the first things to fall by the wayside during the increase in the cost of living.
“The families we support make impossible decisions every day about how to prioritise the limited resources they have,” he said.
“Housing, food, and power are top of the list, but the cost of these essentials have all risen rapidly, meaning educational essentials like uniforms, books, a laptop and the internet are increasingly hard to afford.”
“Laptops and the internet are as essential as pens and paper in the 21st-century classroom.
“Every Australian would agree that all children should have the same opportunities as their peers at school, so they can achieve their potential.”
For more information or to support the program, visit thesmithfamily.com.au/programs/learning-for-life
