By Department for Education South Australia
(Government organisation)
The Department for Education provides a range of integrated education, training, health and child development services to benefit children, young people and families. The department works to improve children’s and young people’s education, safety and developmental outcomes from birth through their transition to adulthood.
Project implemented: 30 September 2020
Project goal
To provide support for educators in schools to implement student volunteering programs which are inclusive and equitable for all children and young people to participate in.
Delivering on
Volunteering Strategy for SA focus area: 1, 2
UN Sustainable Development Goal: 3, 4, 17
Why this project is important
It is critical to supporting the wellbeing and engagement in learning for young people. It helps build connections with school, peers and community and helps in building a strong sense of agency and empowerment in children and young people.
We know that 21% of young South Australians volunteers and that volunteering provides important opportunities for social connection, for learning new skills and for connecting with employment opportunities. For this reason, our Volunteering Strategy for South Australia has a focus on supporting more young South Australians to volunteer.
By introducing volunteering concepts and experiences into school curriculum, students achieve significant benefits to their learning, wellbeing and development.
These benefits include learning work and life skills, developing empathy for others, enhanced feelings of personal worth, finding their purpose and making education engaging and meaningful.
Key steps to make it happen
The Department for Education in conjunction with the Volunteering Strategy for SA has developed resources to support educators in embedding volunteer principles and practices into everyday classroom activity in primary and secondary schools.
Training is also provided for education staff which takes them through the stages of the resource and shares with them templates, lesson plans and a wide range of information to help build on volunteering work that students are already doing or which will help to create a new volunteer program that links to the Australian curriculum.
Impact to date
- Training developed for volunteer involving organisations to implement safe and effective volunteer programs for students and young people
- Webpage content developed to promote awards and recognition programs acknowledging the efforts of young volunteers
- Supporting educators to help build on volunteering work students are already doing or which help to create a new volunteer program that links to the Australian Curriculum.
Collaborating organisations
Volunteering Strategy for SA
About Department for Education South Australia
The Department for Education aims to achieve quality learning and well being outcomes for children and young people.
The department manages South Australia’s public education system, with the goal of delivering world-class primary and secondary education in all areas of the curriculum.
The department also work closely with families to ensure our most vulnerable children and young people are supported and protected so they can grow up to be their best.
Contact
Heidi Unferdorben
Senior policy and project officer, volunteers
t: 0427 479 498 e: heidi.unferdorben@sa.gov.au
