Hero photograph
 
Photo by Leoni Combrink

Student Volunteer Army

Suzanne Waters —

Secondary students can now join the Student Volunteer Army (SVA).

Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is a movement committed to volunteering. It believes in the power of volunteers and has created this programme as a way to better recognise student volunteers in Aotearoa. SVA aims to celebrate student success and their contribution to the community. Volunteering is doing something to help others/community e.g. caring for members of your own whānau, helping out at sports events, animal shelters such as the SPCA, picking up rubbish at the local beach/waterway – something that you are not getting paid for. 

How does it work?

Students register their profile on the SVA website. Students log every piece of volunteering they do while they are with Hagley College. The website keeps a record and rewards students for their hours along the way with some very cool ‘Service Pins’. Volunteering includes everything they’ve done anywhere and anytime – home, school and community service will all be counted together. Students get their first pin after 5 hours of service (SVA will notify Hagley College and we will award it to the student). Students can download their summary of volunteer work anytime and use it for applications for jobs, apprenticeships, further education and scholarships!

Image by: https://sva.org.nz/

SVA now have a custom-built SVA app, to better enable volunteers across Aotearoa to get out there and make a difference!

The app is available on both iOS and Android, is free to use, and SVA will be rolling out new and updated features across the course of 2021.

Download it today on your favourite device!