The Learning Links team is incredibly grateful to Liverpool Catholic Club for their generosity in awarding nearly $80,000 in ClubGRANTS funding to support our education and allied health programs in local schools. This vital funding will allow us to address speech and communication challenges while also supporting literacy and numeracy development, helping children in the community overcome obstacles to learning, build self-confidence, and thrive in their academic journeys.
Almost 100 children will be supported through our Confident Little Communicators and Links at School: Communication programs. This support is essential because for many children, difficulties with speech and language can create significant barriers to academic and social development. When children struggle to express themselves or understand language, they often face challenges with literacy and numeracy, building friendships, and developing the confidence they need to reach their full potential. Effective speech therapy can be transformative, helping children improve their communication skills, build self-esteem, and unlock new opportunities for learning and growth.
Confident Little Communicators – Laying the Foundations for Communication
Confident Little Communicators is a one-on-one program for students in years K-2 that addresses specific needs around oral language development. Learning Links’ passionate Speech Therapy Aides provide personalised support to improve skills with vocabulary and sentence structure. By building these essential communication foundations, children gain confidence in expressing themselves, making it easier to engage in the classroom and with their peers.
The aim of the program is for children to become more engaged, less frustrated, and better prepared for school activities, with improvements in their ability to focus, follow instructions, and interact with classmates. These advancements make it easier for children to stay on track academically and enjoy the learning process, as well as positively impacting their social lives.
Links at School: Communication Program – Accessible and Integrated Support
Our Links at School: Communication program brings our specialised speech therapy directly to schools, ensuring that support is accessible and integrated into children’s learning environments. This program is designed to meet children where they are, so they can work on communication goals within a familiar and supportive setting. The program aims to provide:
- In-School Support: By offering speech therapy sessions in schools, we eliminate barriers that families might face in accessing these services, including financial or other constraints beyond their family’s control. By providing funded programs at school, children are able to access the support they need and have the opportunity to thrive as they deserve to.
- Integrated Learning: Therapy sessions are embedded into the school environment, allowing our speech pathologists to collaborate closely with teachers and support staff. This collaboration ensures that therapy goals align with classroom learning, making the strategies more effective and relevant to the child’s daily experiences.
- Tailored Educational Outcomes: The program focuses on both communication skills and academic outcomes, helping children develop speech, language and literacy skills that are essential for learning success. When children are better able to communicate, they can ask questions, engage in discussions, and build the confidence to participate in all aspects of their education.
Long-Term Impact – Transforming Lives Beyond the Classroom
The generous support from Liverpool Catholic Club is enabling Learning Links to make a long-term impact on children’s lives, well beyond the classroom. By addressing speech and communication challenges early on, these programs are helping children develop essential skills that will serve them throughout their schooling and into adulthood.
With improved communication skills, children gain a stronger sense of self-worth, resilience, and independence. They’re better equipped to handle the academic demands of school, build friendships, and feel confident about their abilities. The positive effects ripple out into families and communities, creating a foundation for a future filled with possibilities.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Liverpool Catholic Club
This funding is transforming lives, one child at a time. We extend our deepest thanks to Liverpool Catholic Club for making these programs possible. Together, we’re giving children the support they need to thrive, find their voices, and achieve success for the future.