Homework Club is an out-of-school-hours learning support program run by volunteers for school-aged students living on or around the Flemington public housing estate in Melbourne.
How does the program help?
Homework Club supports students from migrant and refugee background who may be experiencing multiple barriers to engagement with education, including:
- having had a disrupted or dislocated education
- language and literacy barriers
- lack of educational resources at home
- crowded and distracting living environments
- parents who face language, literacy and familiarity barriers with the Australian education system.
As my first language is not English, I cannot help much with homework. Homework Club helps the kids a lot. Without it, I wouldn't be able to do very much to help my kids. It makes a big difference.
Homework Club parent
Homework Club also benefits the broader community.
Migrant communities are often marginalised and prevented from fully participating in Australian society. By supporting migrant youth, Homework Club creates opportunities to address marginalisation and disadvantage as the earliest possible stage, to positively impact the lives of students, their families, and the wider community.
How does the program work?
Volunteer tutors provide support with homework tasks and guidance around the education system, allowing young people to overcome these barriers and increase educational engagement and attainment.
Tutors work one-on-one with students, supporting them to:
- remain engaged with education
- develop positive attitudes to learning
- overcome common barriers to educational attainment
- build literacy and numeracy skills to progress confidently through the education system
- reach their full educational aspiration and potential.
Our volunteers
AFLW player Najwa Allen is an inspiration on and off the field.
After a trade relocated the premiership player to Melbourne, Naj was on the lookout to give back to her new community. She then found a volunteer role at the Homework Club.
“A lot of the kids…come from a Muslim background, similar to my mum, so there’s a really nice connection piece there.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Naj’s story.
Who can participate in the program?
Children over 8 years old from a refugee or migrant background living on or around the Flemington public housing estate in Melbourne is eligible to join Homework Club.
People who are newly arrived to Australia may seek support from our Settlement Program, which provides links to community and local services to help people feel at home in Australia.
Where is this program offered?
Homework Club runs at Djerring Flemington Hub, 25 Mt Alexander Road, Flemington VIC on Wednesdays and Thursday evenings from 5.00pm – 7.00pm.
Make a referral
To make an enquiry about a student joining Homework Club, please email settlement@jss.org.au.
