Save the Children Australia Opportunities

Save the Children offer a number of different programs to provide young children with opportunities to learn, grow and develop through safe and supported play in friendly environments.

Opportunities

Play2Learn

Save the Children’s Play2Learn is the largest of our Early Childhood Care and Development programs in Australia and has been running for more than 30 years – servicing families with children aged 0-5 (school age). We currently run more than 200 Play2Learn groups for children and parents living in remote and disadvantaged communities across Australia.

The role

• Help set-up, clean and pack-up toys/games and equipment.
• Support running of toy library.
• Help maintain the environment in good order.
• Welcome families and orient them to the venue.
• Role-model appropriate play behaviours.
• Assist with preparation of shared morning tea.
• Support parents in a non-intrusive manner.
• Provide practical assistance to staff and participate in team debriefing.
• Have access to email and be able to undertake online and face-to-face training (internet access and a willingness to learn).

Cubbies Fitzroy Adventure Playground

Cubbies is a community program in the heart of Fitzroy and one of the few Adventure Playgrounds remaining in Australia. Based on Junkyard playgrounds of Europe in the 1940s it has evolved into a vibrant safe community space for school aged children to engage in creative and recreational play activities that encourage calculated risk taking and decision making.

The role

ACU students will play a critical role in supporting children and young people to increase their sense of belonging and agency within their community through:

• Providing individual and group support to children and parents undertaking the Cubbies Program (e.g. structured and unstructured activities based on a play-based curriculum incorporating creative, physical, social and cognitive play, life skills sessions and mentorship)
• Assisting the 54 REASONS workers to set up including food preparation, and maintaining a safe adventure playground environment
• Complying with all program policies and procedures
• Following reasonable instructions from the 54 REASONS staff during the program session

Family Learning Club

The Family Learning Club is an inclusive multi-generational education program delivered by 54 reasons in a partnership with volunteers, designed to support the learning and development of children and empower parents to be their child’s primary educator. The program aims to actively engage children and parents in shared learning activities.

The role

The Family Learning Club is an after-school program run four days a week during school terms, in two locations (Collingwood College and Cubbies in Fitzroy). ACU students will play a critical role in supporting children and young people to develop their language, literacy, numeracy, social and emotional skills, as well as supporting parents to develop their English language skills through:

• Providing individual and group support to students and parents undertaking the Family Learning Club Program (e.g. completing homework, reading, literacy and numeracy activities, games)
• Assisting the 54 REASONS workers to set up including food preparation, and packing up the classroom
• Complying with all program policies and procedures
• Following reasonable instructions from the 54 REASONS staff during the program session
• Attending minimum 75% of sessions for a minimum of one school term
• Raise any concerns including child safeguarding to the 54 REASONS staff

Small Talk

SmallTalk is a nation-wide early childhood education program supporting families with children aged 0-5 years. It aims to improve early childhood development, parenting skills and connection to community amongst the families that attend the program. In each sessions the focus in on sharing evidence-based parenting strategies that parents can use to enhance the home learning environment for their children from birth to school age. The program aims to increase parents’ confidence to do the things we know can have a positive impact on their child’s learning. It is about using everyday opportunities and the activities that many parents already do in the home to enhance their children’s learning and development. These include the way they talk, listen and play with their children, read together and how they engage them in interesting and stimulating activities. SmallTalk also includes ideas on how parents can look after themselves and helps build links with their community and local services.

The role

• Help set-up, clean and pack-up toys/games and equipment.
• Help maintain the environment in good order.
• Welcome families and orient them to the venue.
• Role-model appropriate play behaviours.
• Assist with preparation of shared morning tea.
• Support parents in a non-intrusive manner.
• Provide practical assistance to staff and participate in team debriefing.
• Complying with all program policies and procedures
• Following reasonable instructions from the 54 reasons staff during the program session
• Attending minimum 75% of sessions for a minimum of one school term
• Raise any concerns including child safeguarding to the 54 reasons staff