Secondary school students involved in sports volunteering throughout New Zealand can now have their work recognised and celebrated with the Student Volunteer Army’s new SVA Service Award.

During their time at secondary school, students can log their sports volunteer hours online through the SVA Service Award website. They earn Award Pins that range from member level to higher-achievement pins, and receive an SVA Summary of Service to use in tertiary applications and CVs. All types of volunteering are recognised in the free programme, including sports-related volunteering such as coordinating and coaching at school and in the community, in-home caregiving, school project volunteering, and volunteering with organisations.

Recognising the actions of volunteers and building resilience are integral parts of the programme. SVA founder and Executive Director, Sam Johnson, says “volunteering is the single most powerful force that builds resilience according to the UN." By creating a programme for students to record their own volunteer work education outcomes are achieved.

"Students reflect on the skills they learn and contribution they make as they log their hours,” says Sam. “We have designed the programme to recognise the quiet achievers, the coaches of teams, the students who always pack up the equipment, student referees and those who go above and beyond to make sport happen."

To get involved, students independently create their account at service.sva.org.nz then start logging their volunteer hours. A key teacher or staff member in each school can register who will receive pins by post to award to students as well as notifications that they have reached the next level. SVA Foundation hopes to have 20,000 secondary school students in the programme in 2019 as they work to increase the role of volunteering in New Zealand.

Article added: Thursday 06 June 2019