Kondinin students to benefit from Teach Learn Grow immersion

Education support initiative Teach, Learn, Grow will be visiting Kondinin Primary School in June after receiving a $10,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal.

FRRR grants are given to organisations that experienced disruption during the pandemic.

TLG has run 18 Rural Programs in Kondinin Primary since 2011, however, the pandemic has prevented a visit since 2021.

The program places volunteers drawn primarily from universities and TAFEs in schools where they spend a week working with students on a one-on-one basis to achieve set educational goals.

TLG general manager of development Hannah Beard said that the program model of one-on-one engagement delivered by enthusiastic volunteers is having an impact.

“We try to recruit energetic and upbeat people,” Ms Beard said

“We like a range of people studying everything and we like to give young people the opportunity to lead. Sometimes you might be spending the week sleeping on the floor in the school library with all the books, and it requires a lot of energy to be engaging young kids for a long time and to keep them happy.”

Last year 841 primary school students were assisted by TLG as 225 volunteers invested roughly 5500 hours to deliver the program.

The benefits of the program extend beyond school gates.

“We hope it has a positive trickle-on effect within the broader community,” She said

“Education is pretty vital to things like future jobs and social awareness, it can lead to economic benefits and support for the community.”