One of the strongest philosophies behind social justice in schools is, undoubtedly, volunteering. Many schools have adopted programs that allow students to volunteer time to charities and educational projects in their local communities and across Melbourne.
Not only do people in need benefit, it allows students to learn from their experiences.
St Monica’s College in Epping encourages students to visit the Exodus Community in the Olympic Village, West Heidelberg, not too far from the school.
St Monica’s social justice co-ordinator, Fadi Elbarbar, says year 12 students visit this area to meet the people who live in the Olympic Village.
It’s one of the poorest areas in the state.
“They walk the streets with these people, learn about the area and how inherent poverty affects them and their families,” Fadi says.
“They then sit down and discuss what they saw and how they feel.
“While they’re not raising money, what they are doing, in terms of service, is giving these people the voice that they do not usually have.”
While students at Siena College in Camberwell volunteer their time, teachers, principals and parents at the school are also involved in volunteering.
Staff are regular volunteers at the St Vinnies’ soup kitchen each weekend. Principal Gaynor Robson-Garth says it’s a great way for educators at the school to lead by example. “For more than a year, staff have been volunteering at the St Vinnies soup van on Sunday evenings,” Gaynor says.
“Over 20 staff are permanent volunteers on the roster, with others on a wait-list to join.
“Through [teachers] sharing their experiences, students have now requested to help too, with the younger students (aged 14-17) doing food preparation and those over 18 being able to actually assist with distribution.
“Not only are current staff and students involved, but past students have continued to volunteer to help,” she says.
Siena’s students also volunteer internationally.
Year 11 students experience life at the Kopanang Community Trust in South Africa, which brings together women in need to teach them life skills and also cares for orphans. Students live and work in the community for a fortnight.
“The experience is a life-changing one for those who participate and it has a profound impact on how they see and understand poverty and the lives of those less fortunate than themselves,” Gaynor says.
Through volunteering, Xavier College students learn about the school’s Jesuit philosophy of social justice and giving back to those in need.
Students are required to volunteer at least 150 hours in their senior years through programs that include teaching English to newly arrived Australians.
Parents and ex-students (more than 450) are also involved through Xavier’s Social Justice Network, working locally and overseas on social justice projects.
Among its many programs, Xavier students volunteer through Rotary Gardening, an initiative in which students don gardening gloves to help those in need.
They also offer their time to St Catherine’s Nursing Home and by teaching English to students who have migrated from countries where English is not their first language. Other schools, including Sacre Coeur and Loreto Toorak, are also involved in this “Friday Night School” in Richmond.
Xavier College students also volunteer on Thursday afternoons after school at Yooralla Balwyn, taking part in the art circle program. Students assist groups at the school with their works of art.
At Kilvington Grammar School in Ormond students from year 7 to senior years take part in voluntary work. Year 9s work with a charity called Helping Hands, which makes prosthetic hands for people in countries including Afghanistan and Cambodia. Students also volunteer for a term at a community-based charity or organisation.
Community volunteer work is also done by students at Academy of Mary Immaculate. They work with organisations, including the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, McAuley Community Services for Women and Mercy Aged Care facilities, which are near the school’s Fitzroy campus.
The school’s social justice co-ordinator Sue Moran says much of the volunteering is student driven.
“Students are moved by the experiences of others and are highly motivated to make a difference,” she says. “Working together to create meaningful outcomes for others is an enriching experience and one that teenagers relish as individuals and as an experience to unite them as a community.
“As teachers, we are inspired to deepen their experiences with the many and varied experiences that are available to the education community.”
