Whilst Schoolies is often referred to as a festival or event, it is essentially a holiday period where Year 12 school leavers, who are predominantly under the age of 18, book end-of-school holidays in popular tourist destinations. The Gold Coast has been a chosen destination for many Queensland high school graduates since the 1970’s.
The Queensland Government doesn't promote or encourage young people to book Schoolies holidays, rather it is committed to ensuring that the holiday period is as safe as possible for school leavers, local residents, businesses and the community in general.
This is achieved through the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response which provides support to schoolies and local communities, and aims to balance the needs of both by encouraging young people to engage in safe and responsible behaviour.
In 2021, the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response will be activated from Saturday 20 – Friday 26 November.
Each year, hundreds of dedicated and caring volunteers give up their time to help make Schoolies as safe as possible. Safer Schoolies volunteers work closely with a number of community organisations as well as local and state government agencies to deliver vital safety and support services to school leavers celebrating on the Gold Coast.
Safer Schoolies volunteers patrol in groups of four and provide a first point of contact for schoolies and the local community in need.
They fulfil a range of roles including supporting and assisting emergency service personnel and being a friendly face that schoolies can trust with the right advice or support when needed.
Volunteers often find the experience enormously rewarding and a great opportunity to make new friends.
To volunteer at Schoolies you must:
If you are interested in volunteering with us during the 2021 Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response (Saturday 20 – Friday 26 November, 2021), please complete our expression of interest form and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.
Register my expression of interest to volunteer in 2021.
You must be 19+yrs, undergo training, hold a current Blue Card (or we can assist you in applying for one) and be able to work in a team environment.
Shifts are available between the following hours:
If you are interested in volunteering with us during the 2021 Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response, please complete our expression of interest form.
There is no cost involved for the Blue Cards as you will be volunteering.
We will need you to fill out a Blue Card Linking form to link you to our organisation.
Shift times are flexible and you get to nominate your availability when you register through Better Impact. When scheduling shifts, we are happy to accommodate your preferences.
Yes! Even if you can only do one shift. We would love for you to come and experience the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response. Once you have signed up we will release the shift days/times and you can pick the one that best suits your availability. You get to nominate your availability when you register.
We have three key roles available:
Shifts are usually 5 to 6 hours in length but we can always work to accommodate you.
Yes there is and it is compulsory for all volunteers to attend one session.
Locations and dates will be finalised closer to the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response.
The application itself will take approximately five minutes. The Blue Card checks may take up to six weeks so we encourage you to get the process started sooner rather than later.
Yes - each volunteer receives a certificate and if required, we can provide further certification of the hours volunteered.
Absolutely! We organise the teams on the night so as long as you are both working the same shift, then you can work in the same team.
There is also a question in the registration form that allows you to nominate the person/s that you wish to work with.
Giving back to the community. A sense of pride.
Helping keep school leavers, and the broader community, safe.
The opportunity to forge new friendships.
For students: those who are studying criminology, law, nursing, medicine or paramedicine, volunteering as a Safer Schoolies Volunteer offers the chance to gain valuable experience – it will also look great on your resume.
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