In this thought-provoking conversation, Doug is joined by Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood and one of Australia’s leading advocates for children, parents, carers and families. She makes a powerful case for why every child should have access to high-quality, affordable early learning and care, and how failing to provide that risks entrenching disadvantage from the very beginning.

They discuss Australia’s ‘childcare deserts’ and other barriers to early learning, what recent reforms mean for families, and how Gonski-style funding could transform early childhood education and make it accessible and affordable for all. 

CREDITS 

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family  

Guest: Georgie Dent, CEO, The Parenthood 

Audio production: Mylk Media  

GET IN TOUCH 

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au 

Connect with us on: 

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia 

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus 

LinkedIn @the-smith-family 

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first conversation of 2025, Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family, sits down with David Gonski AC, the driving force behind Australia’s landmark school funding reforms, to explore the current state of education and what’s needed to ensure every child – no matter their background – has the opportunity to succeed.

They discuss the legacy of the Gonski Report and the recent agreement to lift public school funding to the full amount recommended by the review. David also shares his views on what it takes to help young people thrive in tertiary education and the role of philanthropy in shaping better futures.

CREDITS

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family

Guest: David Gonski AC, business leader, philanthropist and Chancellor, University of New South Wales

Audio production: Mylk Media 

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a new season of Conversations with The Smith Family – a podcast that dives into the big issues affecting young people, their education and their future.

Over eight episodes, we explore ideas to help tackle educational inequality in Australia and ensure every child has the chance to thrive at school and beyond.

Host Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family, is joined by a stellar line-up of guests, including education reformer David Gonski, early childhood advocate Georgie Dent, parenting expert Steve Biddulph and Australia's favourite maths teacher, Eddie Woo.

Our first conversation will be out on Wed 16 April, with new episodes released monthly.

CREDITS

Series producers: Jacqui Ooi, Kim Batchelor

Audio production: Mylk Media

Video production: Brown Tree Productions

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re bringing you some of the highlights from our first season of conversations. If you'd like to hear more, you can scroll back through the feed to find the full episodes.

This series has explored the work being done across the Australian community to help young people change their futures through the power of education.

From expert insights to deeply moving personal stories, we've heard about some of the most pressing issues affecting young people today and how we can all make a positive difference in their lives.

Thank you to all of our guests for sharing your stories and experiences, and to you, our listeners, for your support of the show. 

We’ll be back with more conversations in 2025. 

CREDITS 

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family 

Series producer: Jacqui Ooi 

Audio production: Mylk Media 

GET IN TOUCH 

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au 

Connect with us on: 

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia 

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus 

LinkedIn @the-smith-family 

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final conversation for 2024, Kelly, a parent with two children on our Learning for Life program, reflects on the year that’s been, as cost-of-living pressures continue to take a heavy toll on families and impact children’s education.  

Her story highlights the difficulties many families on lower incomes are facing. In a recent survey of nearly 2,500 families supported by The Smith Family, almost 60% of parents and carers said they struggled to afford essential school items for their children this year.  

Despite the challenges, Kelly is doing all she can to ensure her children don’t miss out on vital learning opportunities. Reflecting on her own schooling years, she emphasises the importance of creating a memorable and positive school experience for her children.   

CREDITS 

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family 

Guest: Kelly, Learning for Life parent 

Audio production: Mylk Media 

GET IN TOUCH 

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au 

Connect with us on: 

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia 

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus 

LinkedIn @the-smith-family 

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive into Pay What It Takes, an initiative within the not-for-profit sector to address misconceptions around admin costs and why these shouldn’t be seen as a measure of a ‘good’ or 'bad' charity.

The campaign aims to increase understanding of the true cost of running effective charities and creating a positive and lasting impact in our communities. 

Doug speaks with two of the co-founders of the campaign, Jo Taylor, CEO of the Siddle Family Foundation, and Lisa Allan, Head of Fundraising at The Smith Family, to explore why these admin costs – such as IT, HR, finance, fundraising and measuring impact – are essential for organisations to operate safely and efficiently, build strong and sustainable foundations, and deliver on their purpose.

CREDITS

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family

Guests: Jo Taylor & Lisa Allan, Co-founders, Pay What It Takes

Audio production: Mylk Media

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of building trusted partnerships with families to support their child’s education.

The conversation draws on the experiences of Ben Blowers, who has worked directly with families on The Smith Family's Learning for Life program over the past five years.

Ben shares insights into how The Smith Family engages with parents, offering not just financial and program support, but the personal support needed to help children thrive at school. He also highlights the challenges families are facing right now and their resilience in overcoming barriers.

CREDITS

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family

Guest: Ben Blowers, Learning for Life Team Leader, The Smith Family

Audio production: Mylk Media

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this important episode for Anti-Poverty Week, we meet James Manton, an alumni of The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program, who shares his deeply personal story of growing up in disadvantage, the impact it had on his education and how the right support at the right time helped him turn his life around.

James also offers valuable insights into how our society can better support young people experiencing poverty and how he's now giving back as a volunteer mentor to make a difference in another young person's life. 

CREDITS

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family

Guest: James Manton, Learning for Life Alumni

Audio production: Mylk Media

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead-up to Anti-Poverty Week, this conversation explores what poverty looks like in modern Australia and how digital poverty is leaving young people experiencing disadvantage further behind in education and employment opportunities. 

Caroline McDaid, CEO of WorkVentures, shares insights into what can be done to bridge this digital divide and how organisations are working to ensure every young person has the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. 

Caroline is also the NSW co-chair of Anti-Poverty Week, alongside The Smith Family CEO Doug Taylor.

Actions you can take this Anti-Poverty Week to help young Australians in need: 

• Support the call to end child poverty in Australia
• Support The Smith Family’s Digital Learning Essentials program
• Learn how your organisation can donate technology through WorkVentures

CREDITS 

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family 

Guest: Caroline McDaid, CEO, WorkVentures 

Audio production: Mylk Media 

GET IN TOUCH 

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au 

Connect with us on: 

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia 

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus 

LinkedIn @the-smith-family 

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Volunteers play a vital role in shaping our communities, yet volunteering rates in Australia are in decline.

In this conversation, we hear from Mark Pearce, CEO of Volunteering Australia, about the changing nature of volunteering and efforts to revitalise volunteering for the future.

CREDITS

Host: Doug Taylor, CEO, The Smith Family

Guest: Mark Pearce, CEO, Volunteering Australia

Audio production: Mylk Media

GET IN TOUCH

Learn more about The Smith Family: thesmithfamily.com.au

Connect with us on:

Facebook @TheSmithFamilyAustralia

Instagram @thesmithfamilyaus

LinkedIn @the-smith-family

The Smith Family acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which this podcast is made and their continuing connection to Culture and Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.