Volunteering a key aspect of giving back in CET Schools
National Volunteer Week 2023 is currently being celebrated throughout Australia. The week recognises the support that is provided by millions of volunteers across Australia. Without volunteers, many aspects of our greater community would struggle to exist. Volunteering has the power to drive change and, as part of our greater Catholic mission, becoming a volunteer can help provide meaning.
Within Catholic Education Tasmania schools, there are many different people who choose to make a difference in their local community and volunteer. Parents, students, and staff alike give up their time to help make their communities a better place.
Parents could volunteer in their school canteen or help coach a sporting team. Staff generously give up their time outside of school hours to provide programs for students, or tutor those who do not have the same access to education. While students could help make soups for Loui’s Van, be a lifeguard at a local beach, or visit a local aged care facility to help brighten the resident’s day.
Volunteering can come in many different forms, and the greater CET community creates a culture of giving supported by a number of people and school communities who want to give back.
At St Patrick’s College in Launceston Ascent provides an opportunity for the students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to participate in an outreach and formation program that helps them experience the world of others, beyond their regular day-to-day life.
Staff and students from St Patrick's College
Mr Jack Prosser, Ascent Coordinator and Edmund Rice Camps Coordinator (North) at St Patrick’s College, spoke about how Ascent draws from the mission of the College and is inspired by their founders, Fr Edmund Rice, Fr Julian Tenison Woods, St Mary MacKillop, and Nano Nagle. “This spirit of service and selflessness is a key component of the charisms associated with these figures, and is reflected in the programs and initiatives offered at St Pat’s.” Said Mr Prosser, “We want our students to ascend – to be courageous, big-hearted, fully integrated and alive people.”
Brady Meek, Scarlett Thomas, and Paige Arnold are all in Year 12 at the College and are members of the Ascent program and Eddie Rice Camps. They donate their time and effort outside of regular school hours, spending nights away from home, providing children and young people with experiences that they might not have otherwise had if it wasn’t for them volunteering their time. Brady explained why he enjoys volunteering, “Volunteering has pushed myself out of my comfort zone and made me do things that I might not have done when I was younger.”
Melissa Woolridge, who is also in Year 12 at St Patrick’s, volunteers as part of Edmund Rice Camps and Ascent Program at the College, but also volunteers for the Cancer Council when events such as Relay for Life and the Women’s 5k run take place. “Seeing my Mum go through her own cancer journey has given me that drive to want to make a change, and to be there for the people who have also had to go through similar experiences.” Said Melissa, “I love the community aspect of being a volunteer.”
In the south, the Service Learning class at Mount Carmel College in Sandy Bay, runs three times a week as an elective subject. The course is aimed at students who have a passion for making a difference in their local community, as students aim to build relationships with others while planning and participating in outreach activities.
The Director of Mission at Mount Carmel is Gerard McNulty who has helped develop the subject into what it has become today. “The beauty of this subject is watching the girls of Mount Carmel give back to their local community. They are so keen to be a part of it.” Explained Mr McNulty, “23 students in Year 9 and 10, choose to be part of this course and know that they have to give up time of a weekend, and lunchtimes, and they’re more than happy to do it. It’s great.”
During National Volunteer Week and as part of their Service Learning course, the students at Mount Carmel were separated into three different service-related volunteering activities. The first group helped cook soups for Loui’s Van, another group made board games for visually impaired members of their community. The third group were supposed to be spending time with the community members at Queenborough Rise Aged Care Home, but due to a COVID outbreak were unable to visit. The students’ visits aim to help lift the spirits of the residents of the Home, as the students capture personal histories of some of the residents as part of an intergenerational activity.
Amelia Cowan, who is a Year 10 student at Mount Carmel volunteers because she wants to make a difference. She is a member of the Service Learning class, and also gives up her time outside of school. She volunteers as part of the Riding for the Disabled Association of Tasmania who provide services to people of all ages and disabilities to enable them to enjoy safe, healthy, stimulating, and therapeutic horse-related activities in Tasmania. “I volunteer there for working bees on a weekend, they also run during the week, but I can’t go because of school.” Explained Amelia, “Volunteering makes me feel good, it makes me feel like I’m contributing!”
