Artwork by the students.

As Ann Green will tell you, the joint Learning for Life program established by the Smith Family is playing a major role in helping disadvantaged young people face a better future through education.

There are three Smith Family offices in the local area, one at Tarrawanna and the others at Barrack Heights and East Nowra. The Learning for Life program comprises a suite of programs which focus on literacy. These programs include learning clubs, peer mentoring programs and scholarships. Ann is working hard to establish a Learning Club at Koonawarra modelled on the successful Learning Club in Tarrawanna.

The aim of the Learning for Life program is to support the educational and personal development of students who, for one reason or another, are seen as disadvantaged.

It could be that they are disadvantaged because mum and day are out of work, or they are children of a sole parent, or that their parents are struggling financially because of some physical problem.

Ann, whose title says she is a Learning for Life Worker, points out that the assistance being given to these young students begins from as early as kindergarten and carries on right through to their tertiary education. 

In most cases, she says, the cases are referred to them by the schools and, in fact, the Tarrawanna Learning Club is located at the Salvation Army Hall in Tarrawanna and attended by students from Tarrawanna Primary School.

Financial support to the tune of $350 a year is made available to primary school children, which increases to $450 in years 11 and 12, and $1500 if they are tertiary students. The finance comes from individual sponsors, businesses and corporations and the View Club of Australia.

One of the associated programs involves improved education in literacy through the Student 2 Student program, which includes peer mentoring over the telephone.

Ann says they are grateful in this regard to the assistance being given by the Corrimal and Albion Park High Schools, St Mary’s College and the Illawarra Grammar School.

The program involves a mentor telephoning a selected student three times a week and each of them reading to one another from the same book.

“It operates in terms two and three”, Ann says, “and we find the mentors get as much out of it as the students.”

Looking for more meaningful work

Ann Green became involved with The Smith Family when she came to Wollongong in 2000 from the Sydney suburb of Liverpool. After many years in retail and sales Ann says she was looking for something more meaningful to do with her working life and, while the work is often difficult, its rewards are great.

She also says the demand for more assistance for the underprivileged is growing and getting volunteers isn’t always easy.

Ann says the Wollongong City Council has come to the party to help get the Koonawarra centre up and running by donating all the materials such as pens and pencils etc to get it properly established.

Among the present volunteers who support the programs are representatives of The Salvation Army, The View Club, local schools and the university.

Ann also points out that all The Smith Family’s programs are evidence based in their establishment through the work undertaken by The Smith Family’s own research and development department.

If you would like to know more about this wonderful community service you can look at the website the www.smithfamily.com.au or call Ann on 4283 1097.