Learning Links is a not-for-profit charitable organisation established in 1972 by parents concerned about the lack of appropriate education and support services for children with learning difficulties. Learning Links psychologists, therapists and specialist educators work with these children, their families and schools offering tailored programs and services to improve learning, confidence and participation for children with learning difficulties and learning disabilities.
Over the last five years, clubs in the Canterbury-Bankstown region – Campsie RSL, Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Canterbury League Club and The Lantern Club – have united to provide funding for life-changing educational, literacy, numeracy and speech support to over 350 students in 15 local primary schools. Thanks to the partnership, Learning Links have also been able to offer professional development opportunities for over 200 teachers in the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area, to improve knowledge and capacity for supporting children with learning difficulties in the classroom.
Up to 15% of students in our schools have learning difficulties and disabilities. This equates to 4-5 children in every classroom. On average, it’s estimated that these children learn at half the rate of their peers and the gap this causes continues to widen over time.
Birgitte Maibom, Learning Links CEO, said, “There are many children in the Canterbury-Bankstown community at risk of falling behind at school and facing a lifetime of disadvantage. The generous and ongoing support of these four clubs has enabled Learning Links to address this issue and provide interventions to help change the trajectory of their future.”