Workplace Volunteering Buddies Program

The Program

Literacy Buddies ® & Numeracy Buddies are pen-pal initiatives connecting workplace volunteers with school-aged children. Little Buddies in primary or early secondary schools are matched with Big Buddies from a workplace. Throughout the year they engage in meaningful letter exchanges and participate in two face-to-face visits – one at the school and one at the workplace.

Both programs are letter exchanges, but Numeracy Buddies also includes a short numeracy question for the Little Buddies to solve. Big Buddies can discuss the question and provide encouragement.The Buddies programs bridge the gap for students in communities facing disadvantage by connecting school students with adult role models in the workplace. Both programs help Little Buddies increase their social skills and expand their aspirations by building a relationship with their Big Buddies.​

This is a workplace volunteering program and is only available to workplace groups, not our wonderful individual volunteers. If your workplace is interested in an employee group participating in Literacy or Numeracy Buddies, please get in contact on edconnect@edconnect.org.au.

100%

of surveyed teachers agreed that Literacy Buddies increased student confidence in writing.

91%

of volunteers agreed that Literacy Buddies increased students’ skills in connecting and communicating.

89%

of volunteers agreed that the program contributed to students having increased ideas of what is possible for them in the future

Literacy Buddies ® Testimonials

It is an amazing program that I have been a part of for the last couple of years and every year the students are always excited to receive letters and to meet their buddies but also it has developed their confidence in their interaction with adults. It has also given them aspirations and ideas outside of what they have been exposed to as careers.

– Teacher

I have observed a huge difference in my buddy’s confidence and abilities. At the start of the program he really struggled to express himself in writing and was quite shy. I have seen him dramatically improve his writing ability and he has come out of his shell so much.

– Big Buddy Volunteer

When I spoke to some of the students during our workplace visit a number of them wanted to work in business. This may have been an aspiration before the visit but for some it helped them to visualise that this could be a reality for them.

– Big Buddy Volunteer

Numeracy Buddies Testimonials

It helped students build confidence in mathematics and helped them enjoy maths.

– Teacher

(Numeracy Buddies) showed me how maths can be useful for everything and made me think of maths being more fun.

– Student

I did find it a bit hard to talk with newer people, but I am glad that I did eventually open up and became more comfortable.

– Student