Murrumba State Secondary College Year 11 student Amba is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Amba is enjoying working towards the certificate and has completely embraced volunteering, both as a subject and as a philosophy.

She has been volunteering at neighbouring Undurba Primary School helping year 5 students with their reading. She enjoys reading to them when they are behaving, otherwise it can provide her with a bit of a challenge.

Forest Lake State High School student Zach is studying a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

This term Zach has helped out at many local community events, including: Crimestoppers Centenary; Bunnings BBQ at Oxley; and, Brisbane City Council's Movies in the Park fundraiser.

Centenary High School Year 12 student Ben is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Ben has clocked up hundreds of volunteering hours helping out a variety of causes at every opportunity including on holidays, weekends, and when he has a spare lesson at school.

The inaugural Queensland Volunteering Awards acknowledged the extraordinary and valuable work done every day by thousands of volunteers and organisations across the state.

Award nominees, finalists and recipients were honoured at the Awards Presentation and Recognition Ceremony at Brisbane Room, Brisbane City Hall on Friday 13 May during National Volunteer Week 2016.

A part of our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative, year 10 students from Silkwood High School travelled to Norfolk Island to volunteer over a period of 7 days.

Volunteering Queensland acknowledges the students efforts, as they work towards their CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering. All volunteering hours will go towards their qualifications and of course beautifying glorious Norfolk Island.

During the September school holidays, staff and students from Maroochydore State High School travelled to Cambodia as part of the Students as Active Volunteers Initiative.

Continuing their ongoing commitment to humanitarian work, the group of fifteen students and three teachers taught English at the Save the Cambodian Children for Development Orphanage.

Phillip is a 17 year old student at Everton Park State High School who has just completed Year 11. He recently completed his CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering and has very much enjoyed volunteering at the Hills District PCYC where he undertook a major garden renovation which resulted in a beautiful flower garden being created.

Phillip also volunteered with the Year 5 children at Stafford Heights State School where he assisted them with arts and crafts, sports and various other activities. He can also be seen assisting around his school with general volunteering duties as they arise.

Chantelle is a 19 year old Year 12 student who is graduating from Parklands Christian College this November. Chantelle has very much enjoyed completing her CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering and has a very impressive list of volunteering activities that she has undertaken this year.

Chantelle has worked for Able Care Australia (Caddies) on a weekly basis all year, where she has loved baking cakes, muffins and biscuits. She has also undertaken other cooking for local elderly residents and has successfully looked after the front desk at Caddies where she completed office work.

Claudia Jones is an 18 year-old volunteer who is studying a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering at Seton College.

Claudia supports a wide array of organisations in both her school and wider community.

Claudia has been actively involved with the St Vincent de Paul Society covering fundraising duties and recently participated in their 5 cent Challenge, managing to collect 115 five cent coins. Independently from her school, Claudia assists in Buddies Day, a one day event in which children from disadvantaged families have the chance to participate in recreational activities and games.

Logan Costa is 15 years old, and is currently enrolled in Grade 10 at Caloundra City Private School where he is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering.

As young as he is, Logan has already volunteered with many organisations such as the St John Ambulance where he first started volunteering at the age of 13. Logan frequently attends weekly meetings and volunteers at different events on the Sunshine Coast with St John.

Antipodeans is another organisation Logan has volunteered for. As part of Antipodeans, Logan spent three weeks in India during December 2014 painting classrooms for young monks. It took 4 days of trekking to reach the monastery, and the experience has gone towards Logan’s Duke of Edinburgh Award. Logan is now at the Bronze level for this award.