At Courage to Care QLD, we believe that ordinary people have the power to make a positive difference to the lives of others by being Upstanders.

Delivered by our team of passionate and dedicated volunteers and featuring inspiring testimonies from Holocaust survivor speakers, our classroom program educates participants on how to counter the dangers of racism, prejudice, discrimination and bullying, and to make a real difference in their communities by standing up and taking action, creating real change.

What to expect

As part of the Courage to Care team you will visit Queensland schools to deliver an anti-discrimination Classroom Program to students from Years 6-12, in one of two roles:

1. Presenter: Deliver age-appropriate, standardised and informative 25-minute presentations to groups of Queensland school students ranging in size from 15 up to 150. With an accompanying PowerPoint presentation on WWII and the Holocaust, your presentations will focus on Upstanders - the rescuers - taking inspiration from extraordinary real-life acts of courage.
2. Facilitator: In this dynamic role you will be responsible for facilitating 30-45 minute conversations with groups of 10-20 students in empowering workshops, discussing discrimination and encouraging students to consider tools they can use to develop Upstander rather than bystander behaviour in their schools and communities.

What are the benefits?

• Community Engagement: Engage in a meaningful and effective way with Queensland school students and teachers, as well as your fellow Courage to Care volunteers.
• Communication Skills: Enhance your public speaking and presentation skills while delivering engaging talks; and strengthen your communication and engagement skills while facilitating workshops.
• Fulfillment: Experience the satisfaction of knowing you're helping young Queenslanders to be Upstanders in their schools and communities.
• Personal Development: Along with ongoing training, volunteers have the opportunity to work with a team of dedicated, skilled and passionate people and build on personal strengths – while developing new professional skills and friendships.
• Flexibility: Volunteer as little or as often as your availability allows – whether that be one day per term or several days per fortnight.

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Passion for social inclusion: We welcome volunteers above 18 years of age from all walks of life with a passion to inspire positive change.
• Effective Communication: Ideally, you’ll be a natural, flexible communicator, and while not required, experience in education, social work or community awareness is always welcome. Please note: Detailed knowledge of the Holocaust and other genocides is not a pre-requisite. All that’s required is a strong desire to create real change – and a commitment to educate and inspire Queensland school students to be Upstanders in their communities.
• Availability & Access to Resources: Availability Monday to Friday, during school hours, on a flexible basis based on days/dates you are available; and access to necessary transportation for travel to different school locations within SEQ.
• Commitment to Policies: All volunteers are expected to commit to and abide by our Code of Conduct and key messages as well as have a current Blue Card.

When can I volunteer?

• Sessions are held during school hours in Queensland school term time. We offer flexibility in our rostering, and will only schedule you on days/dates you advise you are available.
• School locations vary within Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and SE-QLD.

What training and support do we offer?

We provide comprehensive training for Presenters and Facilitators, ensuring you feel confident and prepared for your role. Our supportive team works with your individual strengths and preferences, offering opportunities for growth and development. Anyone interested is invited to observe the program in action and if they would like to proceed then full training and mentoring is provided.

Join our growing team of passionate volunteers and help us create a more compassionate world through Upstander education. Together, we can inspire positive change in the lives of young Queenslanders.