Australia

Living and working with remote Indigenous communities in Australia offers a rich cultural experience.  Lattitude Volunteers have been working within Indigenous schools for a number of years, assisting students with their English and numeracy skills (as for many it is their second or third language) and getting involved in sport, music and drama activities.

Placement locations

Placements are located in Darwin, Townsville and an hour north and south of Cairns, click here to view a map.

Is it for me?

These placements will give you the opportunity to learn more about remote Indigenous communities in Australia while supporting young students living away from their traditional support network. They will suit patient, resourceful people who are accepting of the beliefs and values of Australia's Indigenous communities.

Placements explained

School Assistant placements offer the chance for volunteers to live and work with young people from remote Indigenous communities. For many students it is their first time attending formal education.  Schools are either for Indigenous students only or have a mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Volunteers assist with the supervision of students in the school boarding house before and after school and at weekends, as well as assisting in the classroom with one-on-one tutoring and group work.   This is particularly important for students with low levels of grammar and literacy. Help is also required in intensive English programs for children who do not have English as their native language.

Volunteers have the opportunity to become involved in areas of personal interest such as sport, music and drama. They might also supervise on school camps, help in the school office or library and, for those with driving licences, transport boarders to doctor’s appointments, sport matches, and other appointments as required. 

A small amount of pocket money is paid each week for Indigenous placements in Australia.

Accommodation & food

Accommodation is provided in the staff quarters on campus, or volunteers are given their own room within the school boarding house.  Food is supplied in conjunction with accommodation. 

Need to know

• Pre departure briefing - all volunteers are invited to a group briefing prior to departure
• On arrival - volunteers attend an orientation session in Melbourne

Support provided

Before you go:

• We interview each volunteer in order to find out their strengths, skills and interests, as well as identifying what they are hoping to achieve while away. This helps us select the right people to be Lattitude volunteers and after a second interview with the In Country Programme Manager (often via Skype or e-mail), we match them to a placement that is right for them.
• Once you have been accepted by the in Country Programme Manager you will be looked after by a specialised Volunteer Coordinator based in the Palmerston North office, who is responsible for all volunteers going to a particular country. They provide briefing materials, support with logistics such as flights and visas and are there to answer any questions.
• Everyone attends a pre-departure briefing to meet other volunteers and Lattitude staff, and other professionals such as our travel agent, travel doctors and insurance company representatives as well as hearing from returned volunteers.
• All volunteers sign our Term and Conditions to ensure that Lattitude's expectations of each volunteer are agreed and clear from the outset.

When you're overseas:

• We have paid staff based in each country.  Our Country Managers oversee the program and work with a team of Local Representatives who provide support in the local areas and develop close relationships with placement hosts.
• Each volunteer attends orientation on arrival and where needed, other courses such as a local language or teaching skills course.
• Each volunteer is visited at their placement soon after arrival by an in-country staff member to check how things are and provide additional support if needed.
• We work with Embassies and High Commissions to ensure we can respond to any situation and provide 24/7 emergency support from the Lattitude office in Palmerston North.

When you're back:

• We recognise that coming home can be difficult and provide one-to-one support, with onward referrals for further professional support if needed.  Volunteers are invited to debriefing events and become part of our network of alumni.

Costs

These costs are for Lattitude placements in Australia in 2013

Lattitude fees (exact costs):

You will also need to budget for the following (approx costs):

Travel

The main opportunity for travel will be in the school holidays or at the end of your placement, where you can really explore the local area. Darwin-based volunteers can discover the wonders of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, Katherine and the Tiwi Islands. If based in Townsville a wonderland of natural attractions is within 100 kilometres, including Australia's highest single drop waterfall at Hinchinbrook National Park. Those further north in the Cairns area have the incredible Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands and Cape Tribulation within easy reach. Some volunteers may also have the chance to travel to stunning remote areas on excursions or to outdoor camps during their placement.