Our year
From the Minister for Education
Thank you to Life Ed for the important work you do to educate children across Australia.
The work you do is helping around 600,000 school children every year to be healthy and happy, to make smart choices and to believe in themselves.
You’re helping to set them up for life and this Impact Report is proof of that.
I want to particularly acknowledge the important work Life Ed is doing to tackle the scourge of vaping.
This is one of the big issues faces students, teachers, educators and parents across the country.
About one in seven high school students are vaping, and about one in five young Australians aged between 18 and 24 are vaping. We’ve got to work together to stamp this out.
This is a product being marketed directly to children, teenagers and very young adults with one objective in mind and that is to recruit a new generation to nicotine addiction.
The Albanese Government is introducing some of the toughest anti-vaping laws anywhere in the world and we’re determined to see them work.
The first phase of those laws came into effect on 1 January with a ban on the import of disposable vapes and there will be more to come.
The Government is also investing in the health and wellbeing of young Australians. That includes $6M in funding for Life Ed to continue delivering your important health and safety programs for children and young people.
For almost 50 years Life Ed has improved the lives of more than 7 million children, and I look forward to seeing what you will achieve in the years ahead as we all work towards building a better and fairer education system in Australia.
I look forward to seeing the Life Ed team and Harold again soon.
Jason Clare
Federal Minister for Education
From our Chair
 | It is a privilege to serve on the Life Ed Australia Board and to be a part of Life Ed Australia. With this privilege comes an obligation to do something good. Working with Life Ed provides the opportunity to make a difference, as the programs Life Ed deliver influence individuals, families, and even entire communities. Life Ed simply would not be the organisation it is today without our team of Executives and dedicated leaders. Outstanding individuals who lead with consistency of character, whose actions and influence have brought Life Ed closer together and set a new standard for cooperation, collaboration and consistency. The Life Ed Board is extremely grateful for the contributions these everyday Australians make. Life Ed continues to adapt, innovate and accelerate to meet the changing needs of the young people of today. Evidenced by the breadth of the topics Life Ed embraces, from emerging issues like vaping, consent and online safety, through to core programs that explore friendships and physical health. Resources are continually being widened and new content introduced to enhance Life Ed’s suite of education materials, empowering young people to proactively manage their mental health with resources that are student-led. This is the most judicious approach when dealing with confronting topics that are surrounded by stigmas and misconceptions. 2024 heralds the significant achievement of Life Ed’s 45th anniversary. Throughout this long and impactful history, Life Ed has always believed “it takes a village” to help children thrive. This is why successful and longstanding partnerships are at the heart of our work and why Life Ed continues to benefit from the commitment and support of the Federal Government. The Life Ed Australia Board is grateful to the Federal Government for sharing our vision of empowering the children of Australia to make safer and healthier choices through education. It is with enthusiasm and anticipation we approach the plethora of new challenges and opportunities across the Life Ed Network and remain confident in the future and the role Life Ed will continue to play in healthy Australians living to their full potential. Sue O'Malley |
From our CEO
 | It is an exciting time for Life Ed, with 2023 setting the pace for the growth we continue to experience and thrive in. The year was all about reflecting, assessing and rebuilding in the post COVID pandemic world and like many organisations, adaptation and collaboration was key. What I am particularly proud of is Life Ed’s ability to consistently rise to the challenges that present. This is how we’ve been able to evolve and to continue to make an impact across generations. This is also what’s fuelled our arrival at a significant milestone, the development of Life Ed’s National Strategy 2024 - 2028, co-designed with staff from across our Network. I believe this speaks volumes to the strength of our teams and leadership across the country. We’ve seen how agile and innovative our Network is. In 2023 alone, we developed an Australian-first module for primary school students on vaping, co-created and piloted a suite of culturally-appropriate First Nations resources, and explored and utilised feedback, partnerships and technology to create genuine, immersive and intuitive education experiences that make a lasting impact far beyond the classroom. While we have a rich, long-standing history, I am energised by the new chapter we are embarking on, boosted by the Federal Government’s additional $6M investment in our work to build “Foundations for a Healthy Future”. I’m looking forward to how our new unified approach will shape our 2024, as we continue to demonstrate why we have been trusted to educate Australian children since 1979. Russell D'Costa |
Empowering partnerships
Life Ed continues to evolve and make an impact across generations because of the strong partnerships that we build across the country. From an additional $6M of investment in our work from the Federal Government, through to the $910,000 worth of support pledged by corporate Australia, partnerships are at the heart of what we do and how we make an impact.
An Australian-first to tackle vaping
Developed in 2023, Life Ed’s new module is being rolled out across the country to address the gap in education about vaping in primary schools. The innovative unit-of-work urges Year 5 and 6 students to stop, “Take a Breath” and investigate the issues before making decisions.
Two years of helping communities thrive
Since 2021, Life Ed has been working to reach as many children as possible in remote, rural and disadvantaged communities through the Thrive Children’s Fund and since its inception, we have been able to deliver the latest evidence-based learning to more than 10,000 students.
Our partners
We could not do what we do without the generous support of our corporate partners, who help us to deliver the Life Ed program in schools and preschools, as well as reach communities across Australia.
In 2023, our partners helped us to reach new heights. Nationally, thanks to Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, our team were able to develop an Australian-first for primary school students which saw us co-design an education experience on vaping with students from across the country. We were also able to roll out and develop new modules – Friends and Feelings, The Inside Story and Take a Breath. The Inside Story’s contemporary new physical health and nutrition education was made possible with support from Sanitarium.
In its 5th year as a Platinum Partner, Woolworths continued to help us reach more children and communities, through our annual Australia’s Healthiest Lunchbox initiative and as the foundation partner for our Thrive Children’s Fund.
We were also excited to welcome new partner Bakers Delight’s Healthy Solutions range to Life Ed. We will be collaborating to help Aussie children to boost their critical thinking skills, as this is the key ingredient in delivering education that truly embeds learning and gives kids the confidence to make positive choices into the future.
Thank you to:
Our Supporters
Our work is enhanced by the following groups who share our vision and provide their expertise:
In memory of the Hon. Robert Ellicott AC KC
 | We have had the great privilege of benefiting from the Hon. Bob Ellicott AC KC’s extraordinary vision and strong leadership as a friend of our Founder, Ted Noffs and Director of Life Ed Australia for 30 years. During that time, he was Chair of the Board for 15 years. Even after retiring from this role, we were humbled by his continued support with Board membership, guidance, patronage, ambassadorship and ongoing donations. He honours us further by naming us in his estate, which means that his family has provided us with a very generous gift of $100,000. Mr Ellicott has been instrumental in building Life Ed’s vision and is inextricably part of our organisation’s DNA. With his help we have reached many and now, with this substantial donation, we can get to more children in need of critical life skills. Thank you to Mr Ellicott and the Ellicott family for your lasting legacy. |
