Year 10 Geography students gain a firsthand understanding of the operations of an Non-government Organisation (NGO).
The Year 10 unit ‘Geographies of Human Wellbeing’ considers the factors which impact on a person’s wellbeing and, in relation to NGOs, the role they have in influencing these factors.
Students spend time in a selected NGO, gathering information about its aims, achievements, and challenges. Making a hands-on contribution to the NGO is a core part of the visit. Ultimately, the students give a presentation to their class.
One group of students – Hamish Fergusson, Hudson Fisher, Lewis Levy, Calvin Payne, Michael Phillips, and Ben Thomson – visited TEAR Australia as part of the programme. Working in partnership with more than 70 organisations, TEAR Australia responds to the needs of poor communities around the world.
The students had formal meetings with key TEAR staff, and assisted with the packing of pop-up fundraising kits during their visit.
“The interaction with TEAR gave us a really good insight into the work of an NGO,” said Lewis. “It was really interesting to see what they do for people who need to improve their wellbeing and how they go about it. I gained a real appreciation of the importance of their work.”
“We learnt how an NGO can have an impact on numerous wellbeing factors,” added Calvin. “In the case of TEAR, they focus mainly on agriculture and health.”
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