Volunteer pilot program spikes interest in students giving back

Update from: Government of South Australia

A pilot program run in six South Australian secondary schools to encourage more young people to take up volunteering in their local communities has seen more than 400 students clock up 10,000 hours of volunteering.

The Volunteering SA&NT initiative, which is backed by $125,000 in State Government funding over two years, is a partnership with the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) New Zealand, which began following the Christchurch earthquakes in 2010, mobilising students to help with recovery efforts.

The five students who pitched in the most volunteering hours were celebrated at an awards ceremony this week, attended by Human Services Minister Nat Cook and Education Minister Blair Boyer.

The South Australian SVA pilot has used an easy-to-use app to track and celebrate voluntary service with badges and resume-ready summaries.

The app forms part of the broader SVA Service Award program, which recognises the volunteering efforts of young people, and supports and showcases the skills they develop as a result.

South Australia is the second jurisdiction to pilot the model after Tasmania, which has been using the app for more than 12 months.

Berri Regional Secondary College, Northern Adelaide Senior College, Wirreanda Secondary School, Blackwood High School, the Riverland South Australian Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy and Scotch College participated in the pilot.

Students were able to log their volunteer hours on the app using their laptop – or a smartphone outside of school hours – and celebrate milestones by achieving bronze, silver and gold badges. Hours performed over an 18-month period were included.

A summary of volunteer service can be downloaded and has been designed as a document that can be used in job interviews and other selection processes, such as apprenticeships, scholarships, and further study.

Quotes

Attributable to Nat Cook

Volunteering in South Australia was significantly impacted through the COVID pandemic and we are now just starting to see the volunteering ranks replenished.

As Minister, I have been really keen to see young people getting more connected and involved in their communities and helping to rebuild our state’s volunteering ranks.

The pilot program run in six secondary schools across the state has provided a bit of competition for the students and it was great to meet those students who have gone above and beyond in giving back to their communities this week.

The app has proven to be a great tool to support and encourage young people to seek out volunteering opportunities and to use those opportunities as a foundation for whatever comes next, whether it be employment or further study.

The Malinauskas Labor Government has invested $340,000 over two years into Volunteering SA&NT to support the implementation of the SA Volunteering Strategy. The Student Volunteer Army is one of five key projects that is bringing this strategy to life.

Attributable to Hamilton Calder, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering SA&NT

We’re thrilled with the results of the pilot.

Ultimately, we’d love to see the platform used in schools across the state.

The future of volunteering is in good hands when you see how many hours these students have given back to their communities.

We’ve had some wonderful feedback from students. They say the app is easy to use and they appreciate the recognition it provides them for their efforts.

Attributable to Sam Lawrance, Year 10 student at Blackwood High School (volunteered 883 hours as part of the pilot through school community and Australian Army Cadets)

Volunteering in a nutshell makes me feel good and what I like most is giving to my community.

I can put all my hours into one easy to use app so I can record how many hours I have put in and it also encourages me to increase my hours, week by week.

We have a little bit more time to volunteer than adults I don't have a full-time job and it helps me to gain skills. Some of the skills are Team building, meeting new people, being positive and punctual.

Attributable to Lily Rothe, Year 11 student at Berri Secondary College (volunteered 303 hours as part of the pilot through local sporting clubs, school community, Cottage Homes and Lions Club)

What I enjoy most about volunteering is being able to help others who either can’t afford to or want to improve something in the community, whether it be wellbeing or environmental.

I think that the SVA Service Awards program is an amazing way for those who have given up their time to help others receive recognition for their work.

The program is an amazing way to encourage those who are thinking about volunteering or want to do more volunteering to become involved in their community.