Support for disadvantaged Tasmanian youth

The MyState Foundation has significantly increased its long-term commitment to supporting disadvantaged youth in Tasmania.

A $225,000 three-year investment in sponsorships for disadvantaged primary school children across the state has been announced.

The initiative will increase The MyState Foundation’s total community investment in Tasmania to more than $150,000 a year.

The MyState Foundation is partnering with The Smith Family to provide support for 100 Tasmanian primary school children per year for three years to the end of 2019, through the Learning for Life sponsorship program. The sponsorships will help disadvantaged families afford core education related
expenses, such as uniforms, books, stationery, and excursions.

Through the program, sponsorship recipients will receive support from a local coordinator who works with the child’s family and school to ensure their long-term participation in education.

Recipients will also have access to a range of outside of school learning and mentoring programs, including literacy, numeracy, career and post-school pathways, as well as digital and financial literacy initiatives for parents and carers. Students are supported to achieve a 90% attendance rate
as part of the program.

MyState Limited Managing Director and CEO Melos Sulicich said the increased investment would help a significant number of young people break the cycle of disadvantage and reach their full educational and career potential. “Tasmania has the poorest Year 12 attainment rates of any state, at 51% compared with 75% nationally and also has the highest youth unemployment rate of any state, at 18.2% compared with 12.7% nationally"

“The MyState Foundation are proud to have educated and supported disadvantaged young people since 2001 through grants and other initiatives and feel now is the right time to step up our commitment so we can have a greater impact and tackle underlying issues head-on.

“Young Tasmanians are the future custodians of our wonderful state and we firmly believe that our investment in youth will enrich the whole community,” Mr Sulicich said.

The initiative was announced jointly by Mr Sulicich and The Smith Family’s CEO Dr Lisa O’Brien in Hobart thjs week and makes MyState Foundation the largest corporate supporter of The Smith Family in Tasmania.

In addition to the partnership, the MyState Foundation will also fund Work Inspiration programs, which are designed to inspire Year 10 students about their future in the workforce.

Students participating in the Work Inspiration program will work with the MyState team and Tasmanian business professionals to explore their career path options, build skills and forge the crucial connection between education and career.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said that for the 1.1 million young Australians living in poverty there are many barriers to overcome.
“Too often, family struggles at home can affect a child’s schooling, yet we know education is key to setting that child up for life,” Dr O’Brien added.
“Our data shows that our approach through the Learning for Life program – intervening early and providing long-term educational support for very disadvantaged young people – is working.

“We thank the MyState Foundation for their ongoing support of and we look forward to working collaboratively to ensure more disadvantaged Tasmanian children get the assistance they need to create better futures for themselves.”

Source info about the MyState Foundation | www.mystate.com.au/community