Coordinated and delivered nationally by Volunteering Queensland since 2013, National Student Volunteer Week 2023 is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of student volunteers. It is also an opportunity to inspire others to join in and make a difference in their own communities.
At Communiteer, we aim to kickstart for students the lifelong journey of giving back. The fresh perspective, innovative ideas, and boundless enthusiasm that students bring to the table can truly invigorate the Australian volunteer pool.
This year’s theme is Give. Grow. Belong. So, let’s come together and encourage more students to get involved in their community. Together, we can create a ripple effect that will take us into a hopeful future.
Here’s a few stories from our student community from this year who have experienced the rich journey of discovering their volunteering calling.
Supporting International Student Volunteering
Since August 2022, Communiteer has been working with Study NSW to design, establish and coordinate a student volunteering program for the Sydney Airport International Student Welcome Desk. Every day we are receiving expressions of interest from students looking to get involved with the program.
So far:
- 304 students have expressed interest
- 203 have been inducted
- 126 have attended a shift
- 2046 volunteering hours have been fulfilled.
Here are a few of those we recognised at the Study NSW Welcome Desk Recognition Ceremony in May!
I am filled with gratitude as I reflect on my experience volunteering with Study NSW and Communiteer over the past three months. It has been a truly enriching journey to walk alongside so many individuals who share the same desire to support and positively impact the student community. Being a volunteer at the International Student Welcome Desk reminded me of how I was welcomed into a warm and inclusive community years ago when I first arrived in Sydney. Through this experience, I had to opportunity to interact with other volunteers, airport ambassadors, and students from all backgrounds, which allowed me to develop my communication and problem-solving skills.
I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to volunteer at the International Student Welcome Desk at Sydney Airport from December 2022 to January 2023. This experience has been particularly meaningful to me, and I believe it has provided me with valuable skills and insights that will be transferable to future professional endeavors. Working at the International Student Welcome Desk has been the happiest time of my life. I wanted to gain happy memories at the International Student Welcome Desk. Fortunately, being a part of the International Student Welcome Desk as a volunteer has made me feel Australia’s warmth and friendship. I am very grateful for this time of volunteering.
I’m glad to have this happy and meaningful time to volunteer in the International Airport International Students Welcome Desk. It’s a good experience for me to practice my speaking and communication skills. I learned a lot from this experience.
Pathway to Employment
The combination of mentoring and student volunteering as a Pathway to Employment presents significant potential to improve graduate employability outcomes. Due to the success of this pilot program, Communiteer and AVI have developed an ongoing mentoring program, operating in several cohorts throughout 2022 and 2023.
This program has facilitated over 100 mentor relationships between students and corporate mentors, working with 5 corporates and students from 20 universities.
Here are just some of our students who found great value and experience to carry into their professional lives and personal growth:
I’ts been a really good experience. All positive! The fact that Communiteer is a people first volunteering organisation has allowed the mindset to be a little bit different. And that has meant the interaction has been more genuine.
Harrison Adkin, Student Volunteer, University of Sydney
It was very rewarding. I felt like I had given back to the Community; I felt useful, especially because the purpose was so strong… I had a lot of fun, [and] I got a lot out of it.
Payal Shah, Student Volunteer, Western Sydney University
I really enjoyed volunteering! I’m able to help out my local community and develop those transferable skills that I can apply to my future career. I do recommend Communiteer highly because it allows you to connect with a lot of different community organisations all in one place.
Sabrina Young, Student Volunteer, Western Sydney University
Volunteering with the Michael Hughes Foundation, you get to meet so many wonderful people working in an amazing team. It’s been such a lovely journey. It feels really nice to give back to the community.
Thien Truong, Student Volunteer, Western Sydney University
Watch our recap of the Pathway to Employment program with Western Sydney University and the City of Parramatta!
What’s Next for Student Volunteering
The Department of Social Services has allocated $1 million in additional funding to work closely with Communiteer on engaging young people. This will seek to reverse the downward trend of our national volunteering pool and build Community Sector capacity.
Over the next 2 years, we will be working through universities, schools, local clubs, and representative groups to create pathways for young people to feel more connected with their communities and actively engage in volunteering.
Communiteer’s strength lies in our innovative, agile and holistic approach to student experiences. This program is a culmination of years of conversations, research, development, testing, and feedback, as well as our team’s lived experience.
From our 2021 launch of Pathway to Employment with AVI, our partnership with Study NSW, various university and local council collaborations, and many other ways we’ve gotten involved within the youth volunteering space, we bring many insights and relationships into developing this program.
Everything we’ve worked for and worked on has led us to this stage where our interconnected activities in corporate, education, community and youth engagement are allowing our vision to be closer in reach. This grant will enable us to accelerate our vision, broaden our reach and amplify our collective impact.
We look forward to collaborating with Volunteering Australia to support the education and guidance of volunteer-involving organisations to replenish the volunteering pool.
Soon, we will be inviting a range of stakeholders within the youth engagement space, including yourselves, to provide input on the development of this program. Let us know if this is something you are interested in.
We thank you for your ongoing support!
Get in touch if you’d like to stay in the loop on these upcoming and current student volunteering programs:
