Receiving one of life’s greatest joys…

 

Volunteer Trudy McKenna has recently celebrated an amazing fifteen years of service volunteering with EdConnect Australia. Trudy has volunteered at a massive five schools across her fifteen years of service and currently mentors students one-one-one at Pheonix Primary School in WA.

Trudy talks about one experience which she describes as the highlight of her time volunteering.

“I’ve had some momentous occasions, watching students grow over the years,” she began.

“One child I did mentor from grade 2 to grade 7. She came to me as a bullied indigenous child and hid under my table, and I started playing games with her,” she said.

“Slowly we gained confidence with each other. She become stronger socially with other children, and with me.”

“Come Grade 7, I wanted to partake in her end of year speech. I watched her, and there was a transformed little girl, who had matured to a growing young lady. It was beautiful,” she said.

“She was so ready for high school. She was standing there, upright, proud, she was not hiding anymore. She was pleased and she was smiling”.

“That gave me great joy, to know that I had changed that child’s one life over the five and a half years I had worked with her,” Trudy finished.

Our EdConnect volunteers, just like Trudy, are stepping up to support learning and development outcomes, giving their time through our school-based program to students who are identified as needing that extra support most.

In 2023, we had over 950 volunteers, in more than 260 schools and 19,750 students. The impact of our volunteers last year has far exceeded expectations.

EdConnect volunteers are drawn from all walks of life, including past educators, professionals, tradespeople, parents and grandparents, or students. Giving their time and the benefit of their lived experience, volunteers share a passion to make a positive difference in young people’s futures.

Hundreds of volunteers across Western Australia are giving their time and support to assist young people in their local communities. To become an EdConnect Australia volunteer and help equip young people with the life skills they need to succeed contact edconnect@edconnect.org.au or call 1800 668 550.