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Students receive $10k boost to support STEM study
- The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program gets $10,000 boost from BASF
- Disadvantaged secondary students receive educational support
Melbourne, Australia – March 27, 2017 – An additional 12 students from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive vital study support this year, thanks to a $10,000 donation from global chemical company BASF to The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
The funding will support secondary students that have an interest in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), located near communities that BASF operates in, including Whyalla SA, Seven Hills NSW and Werribee VIC.
The Smith Family adopts an evidence-based approach to develop and deliver their programs and support, responding to the needs of disadvantaged children, young people, families and communities.
David Hawkins, Managing Director and Chairman of BASF Australia and New Zealand said, “We believe it is important to give students from all backgrounds an opportunity to develop an interest in STEM studies. The Learning for Life program can open their eyes to new opportunities they otherwise may not have had exposure or a pathway to before, such as further education and employment opportunities.”
Dr. Lisa O’Brien, CEO of The Smith Family said, the program has proven results explaining that, “Up to 84 percent of former Learning for Life students who left the program in Years 10, 11 or 12, were engaged in employment, education or training, a year after leaving the program”.
“BASF’s generous donation will support 12 students through the Learning for Life program – to provide them with the tools they need to succeed in their education and create a better future for themselves,” said Dr. O’Brien.
BASF have donated over $500,000 since first forming its partnership with The Smith Family in 2004.
BASF also supports The Smith Family’s Let’s Count math program for early years’ educators. Through the program, educators support parents with tips, techniques and resources to emphasise math in the everyday and help children to see it as relevant, stimulating and fun.
About The Smith Family
The Smith Family is a children’s education charity that helps disadvantaged young Australians to succeed at school, so they can create better futures for themselves.
About the Learning for Life program
Parental engagement is central to the Learning for Life program, which provides support in three ways:
- Financial assistance for core education-related expenses, including books and uniforms.
- A local Coordinator who works with the child’s family and school to encourage and support their long-term participation in education.
- Access to a range of Smith Family learning support and mentoring programs, including literacy and numeracy, career and post-school pathways, as well as digital and financial literacy initiatives for parents and carers.
A unique feature of Learning for Life is the long-term nature of the program. Students can start on the program in their first year of primary school and continue right through to the completion of tertiary education. Referrals to the program are made through partnerships with hundreds of schools in over 90 highly disadvantaged communities across Australia where The Smith Family works.
About BASF in Australia and New Zealand
BASF posted sales of about €417 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2016, serving key industries in the agriculture, coatings, construction, manufacturing and mining sectors. As of the end of 2016, the company had 493 employees and operated 13 production sites across the sub-region, manufacturing agricultural solutions, performance products and functional materials & solutions. BASF has been active in Australia for more than 90 years, and for about 60 years in New Zealand. Further information is available on the Internet at www.basf.com/au.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
