National Student Volunteer Week

Every year in August, Ardoch celebrates National Student Volunteer Week. This is a week that recognises students who volunteer and the difference they make to society. Student volunteers are critical to helping Ardoch improve educational outcomes for children living in disadvantaged communities. Without their ongoing support, along with our other volunteers, Ardoch would not be able to continue working towards our vision, that every child’s potential is realised through full participation in education.

We celebrated National Student Volunteer Week by sharing volunteers’ stories and their motivations for choosing to volunteer with Ardoch across social media.

Meet Rubi, one of our Education Volunteers who is studying for a Bachelor of Science, majoring in psychology. Rubi hopes to pursue a career in educational and developmental psychology. Here is what she had to say when asked a few questions about her volunteering:

Why do you volunteer?

“To help empower children.”

What were your reasons for originally volunteering with Ardoch?

“I was really curious initially and I had heard the name before, and when I did my research, I realised this would give me great experience going into psychology and hoping to work in schools one day. Ardoch gave me the opportunity to gauge if I was on the right path and it’s really confirmed my passion for helping children, and gives me great skills and experience.”

What experience has resonated the most with you?

“I volunteer to empower children, and I definitely know I am making a difference. Last term I was helping these kids who are normally very quiet, put a story together. By the end, they were all talking over the top of each other. If these kids are supported and guided, they do amazingly and that was something I was smiling about for ages.”

What do you have to say to others who are thinking of volunteering?

“Definitely do it! I would definitely recommend Ardoch to anyone because it is so rewarding and the confidence you get from working with kids you don’t know, and the experiences you have will help with any job in the future. – you don’t have to be going into education. It’s definitely a very rewarding experience.”