Media Release: JAG and The Smith Family team up for The Dream Run 

Leading Australian OSHC provider expecting to support education of over 150 disadvantaged children through funds raised  

Junior Adventures Group (JAG) will once again partner with educational charity, The Smith Family to support The Dream Run, a month-long national fundraiser to support children facing disadvantage.  

Outside School Hours educators and children at over 400 JAG services across the country will participate in the event by committing to traveling up to 150 km in June. The services are aiming to exceed the $43,000 raised last year, and the outside school hours care (OSHC) provider has committed to matching funds raised by its staff. 

JAG’s OSHC services will dedicate a large part of its programming in June to improving children's fitness and connection with community through fun activities. Educators and children will host in-service fundraisers throughout the month including bake sales, arts and crafts events, and carnival activities. On 19 June all services across four states and the ACT will join a national ‘Bubble Fun Run’, which will see an expected 20,000 children participate. This will be just one of a number of activities contributing to fundraisers’ step count throughout the month. 

All funds raised through The Dream Run will go towards The Smith Family’s flagship ‘Learning for Life’ program that provides in-need students with vital financial, personal and practical support through their school years. Last year’s donation from JAG went towards sponsoring the education of 150 children for a full year. 

Melinda Crole, CEO of JAG Australia said, ‘We are proud to support The Smith Family, which is an incredible charity at the forefront of supporting children facing hardship throughout their school years and providing them with the opportunity to change their future for the better. Our partnership is one based on a shared belief in using the power of education to help break the cycle of disadvantage in Australia and we are proud to support them. We believe our support can help more children build their skills, grow their confidence, and develop the connections they need to complete their schooling and fulfil their potential.’ 

Melinda added, ‘This is going to be a truly magical moment for the children at our services. A core objective of our OSHC program is to help foster a new generation of socially conscious global citizens. Participating in the Dream Run will not just be fun. It will be an important educational experience that will inspire children to take action to improve the lives of peers who are less fortunate.’  

About Junior Adventures Group 

Junior Adventures Group (JAG) is a leading provider of outside school hours care (OSHC) in Australia.  In over 420 schools across the country, our specialist providers OSHClub, Helping Hands Network and Primary OSHCare are providing children with fun, enriching and impactful play-based programs that give them the opportunity to learn essential life skills and explore their own interests. We are driven by our mission to help today’s children navigate their tomorrow, ensuring we support every child in our services to reach their full potential. 

About The Smith Family 

The Smith Family has been working to improve the lives of children living in disadvantage for 100 years. Today we’re supporting 62,822 students on our flagship Learning for Life program, helping to break the cycle of disadvantage through targeted, long-term support for their education – and we’re expanding our careers education programs, providing even more opportunities to help students transition from school, tertiary education or training into the workforce