join our volunteer community!
Volunteers play a HUGE role in the Story Island Project; they are at the heart of our workshops with young people.
We aim to have a volunteer for each two or three young people in our workshops. That way, young people can get valuable individual attention and encouragement – that’s when the creative magic really happens!
“I have served in many volunteering roles over the years, including school canteens, umpiring netball, charity work and cutting hair, but Story Island is definitely the most rewarding volunteering experience. I urge anyone who is looking for a rewarding experience to try Story Island.”
Story Island were the proud winners of Volunteering Tasmania’s Volunteer Group/Program of the Year Award in 2022!
It costs around $500 to train each new Story Island volunteer. Right now, we’re trying to raise $5000 to ensure that we have a group of well prepared, compassionate volunteers to help our students in 2025.
If you could make a contribution to training one volunteer, you’ll be giving Tassie kids the opportunity to build their confidence, creativity and wellbeing.
Volunteer recruitment 2025
In 2025, we’re running a range of creative writing programs at primary and schools in the greater Hobart area. These programs are supported by Arts Tasmania.
Each eight-week program consists of weekly 90-minute workshops that build young people’s creative skills and confidence, supporting their participation in authentic, ‘real world’ arts experiences.
To be a great volunteer, you just need a love of the English language and a commitment to share the spark of creativity with young people. Trained story leaders plan and lead our workshop sessions. For more info, read our Volunteer position description.
We give our volunteers a free training session for volunteers before your first workshop. Please note that we require all volunteers to have a current Working With Vulnerable People card and to complete the Department for Education, Training and Young People’s Safeguarding Training for volunteers. We encourage all volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to participate in COVID-safe behaviours.
Click here to sign up as a volunteer, or see below for some frequently asked questions about volunteering with the Story Island Project. Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Volunteer spotlight: daisy
Many experiences are even better when you share them with a friend. For Daisy, volunteering with Story Island is one of those experiences.
‘I saw on Facebook that a friend of mine had been volunteering with the program, and it sounded like something I’d love. So yeah, I joined in too,’ she said.
Daisy loves helping kids ‘dig deep into their creative side’.
‘I love seeing them impressed with their story once it’s down on paper.’
Story Island has brought out Daisy’s creative side too.
While supporting high school students in our Little Mysteries of Me memoir writing program last year, Daisy wrote a very moving piece about one of the most joyful moments of her life, the birth of her beloved niece, Grace.
We asked Daisy to name one moment when she felt like she’d made a difference to a student in a Story Island workshop, but she said it was impossible to name just one:
I can honestly say Story Island is a remarkable program. It digs into the students' and volunteers' minds and brings out thoughts, ideas and memories that might’ve been hidden for a long while. It brings them to the surface and creates epic stories! And when we see them come to life, the expressions on everyone's faces tell me I've done something right.
Frequently asked questions
about volunteering with Story Island
What is involved in volunteering in workshops?
Download a copy of our Volunteer Tutor position description.
Our volunteers work alongside young people in our workshops, giving one-on-one support and encouragement to help young people with their writing. Workshops cover a wide range of areas, but all focus on creative writing. As a volunteer, you may work with young people on narrative fiction, poetry, a script, a radio podcast, a short film, memoir, letter, comic strip, or any number of creative projects.
Workshops are either one-offs or, much more often, a series that runs for 8 weeks through a school term. When signing up for a workshop series, we ask volunteers to sign up for the full series so you can work with the same students each week across the whole project.
Apart from workshop volunteers, we also need volunteers to assist with behind-the-scenes tasks like typing up students’ writing and other administrative tasks. When you sign up, please indicate if you have any other relevant skills that we could use!
Do I need to have teaching experience to be a volunteer tutor?
Not at all! Our volunteers come from a range of professional backgrounds. To be a great volunteer, you just need a love of the English language and a commitment to share the spark of creativity with young people. Trained storytellers plan and lead our workshop sessions; volunteers are there to offer individual support and encouragement to young people.
We give all Story Island volunteers a training/orientation session before their first workshop, and require all volunteers to have a current Working with Vulnerable People Card.
Where and when do workshops happen?
Most workshops take place in schools and community centres on weekdays between 9am–3pm.
I’d like to volunteer, but I have more questions!
Not sure if you’re a good match for us? Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions or concerns you might have about the volunteer roles, training process or anything at all! Jen, our Volunteer Coordinator, is happy to chat to prospective volunteers.
I’m in! Sign me up!
Wonderful! We can’t wait for you to join us. Just fill in our registration form; you’ll soon receive an email letting you know the next available training session dates, after which you’ll be eligible to volunteer at any of our workshops.
I’m not able to volunteer, how else can I support Story Island?
It costs around $500 to train each new Story Island volunteer, ensuring that they have the skills and mindset to allow students' creativity to flourish. If you could make a contribution to training one volunteer, you’ll be giving Tassie kids the opportunity to build their confidence, creativity and wellbeing.