Stories · Education · 2026

Spotlight on Our Education Team

Six months ago, Maya was disengaging from class. Today, she's putting her hand up. It's the kind of change that happens when someone shows up for a young person, week after week, and keeps showing up.

Maya is one of the students our newest education team member, Lauren, works with. Lauren has just joined A Start in Life as a Student Support Officer, and she's already making a difference. She works one-on-one with students from Kindergarten to tertiary. But with kids like Maya, in that age range of 10 to 15, it's a critical window. Kids this age are figuring out who they are, where they fit, and forming their self-worth. Peer pressure is loud. Confidence can slip quietly away.

With the support of A Start in Life, I felt brave, stepped out of my comfort zone, built confidence, and made connections for my future career.

Annie, Student

Lauren helps them find their footing. Not with a checklist, but with time, attention, and the kind of consistent belief that tells a young person they are worth investing in. Students explore their values and strengths, set real goals, and get a personalised report on where they can grow. Parents stay in the loop. And when a student needs more, Lauren is there, whether that's tutoring, an art workshop, or a zoo excursion. Because some of the most important moments don't happen in a classroom.

Strong Women, Strong Futures: ASIL in the Community

While Lauren shows up for Maya every week, Kathleen shows up for our communities across Western Sydney. That's what this organisation is built on: women backing women, backing the next generation. In March, we joined NSW Women's Week 2026 with Mobileyes and Dental Foundation, reaching up to 600 women and girls across Liverpool, Blacktown, and Regents Park: women rebuilding after hardship, girls still figuring out who they are, all of them deserving care they couldn't access alone.

Kathleen said it plainly at every event: a child's future is shaped long before they walk into a classroom. It's shaped by whether their mother has glasses to read the school newsletter. Whether she has the confidence to advocate for her kids. Whether anyone showed up for her first.

We did. And we'll keep showing up.