International students want to volunteer

International students show an overwhelming interest in volunteering, and get an enormous amount from their volunteering experiences. It is well documented that students benefit greatly from the experiential learning opportunity that is volunteering.

Increasingly, students are looking for a wider range of meaningful ways and activities through which they can engage with the local community while studying. This is particularly so for international students who see volunteering as a chance to improve their professional and interpersonal skills, get real-world experience, and get to know the local culture and the local community playing host to them. Whether their activities are related to their field of study or not, the experience they gain by participating in professional workplaces and taking part in activities that involve a broad cross section is one of the most memorable experiences of their tertiary studies.

As a part of the International Student Volunteer Initiative a set of information sheets and tools have been developed to help build capacity around engaging international students as volunteers and to educate international students on volunteering practices in Australia. The information kit has been compiled to answer the questions, provide inspiration and give advice to Queensland education providers to help their international students access and reap the benefits of a volunteering experience.

The information kit covers:

• Why increase opportunities for international students to volunteer: The benefits for students, education providers and the wider community
• How education providers can increase opportunities for international students to volunteer
• What support and resources are available to help: Including important links and resources for students

Download the information kit for education providers on increasing opportunities for international students to volunteer below. 

Volunteer stories

Read international student volunteer profiles. Find out about their roles, motivations, the benefits they gained from the volunteering experience and some of the challenges they faced. 

Best practice

Learn from best practice. View profiles of CQ University’s Community and Corporate Engagement Program and the QUT International Student Volunteering Initiative, to see how education providers are encouraging international student volunteering. Read insights from nonprofit organisations, UnitingCare Community and VoRTCS, on how they work with international students. 

Help us promote international student volunteering

Encourage more international students to volunteer by providing them with information on volunteering in Australia and stressing the reciprocal benefits of engaging in volunteering. Share our promotional materials and direct them to the international students section.

The International Student Volunteer Initiative is a Volunteering Qld initiative to increase opportunities for international students to volunteer in Queensland funded by Multicultural Affairs Queensland.