Service-Learning Australia

Invite someone with personal experience of an issue to speak about, for example, being deaf, sight impaired, with an intellectual or physical disability, being elderly or a refugee.  Be careful to be balanced in your approach.  In the students’ reflections to encourage them to also consider the “talents” of the people speaking, and the lessons that might be learnt from these people.

To find such speakers, contact your local Council who might have a “living library”, your local community centre or volunteer centre, or community organizations such as the Australian Red Cross who have a network of school speakers around the country who can help your students engage with humanitarian topics.

Tell stories, watch videos, read books, become involved with programs on web sites.

• The Caritas Australia site might be helpful.
• My Class Cares is an organization that produces “Hopeful Voices”, a collection of essays from youth around the world whose challenges have given them much to share about life and hope.

Get students to survey parents and other adults who are doing service, find out about their experiences and discuss this in class.

Field trips to community organizations are an excellent way of introducing students to sections of the community that might benefit from their service activities.