By ALESHA CAPONE
STUDENTS from Overnewton Anglican Community College are reaching out a helping hand to some young pupils in Sunshine.
Teenagers from Overnewton, which has campuses in Keilor and Taylors Lakes, are tutoring children from multicultural backgrounds at the Sunshine Harvester Primary School.
Every Thursday after school, Overnewton pupils head to Sunshine as part of a refugee support program run by the Edmund Rice Foundation.
Year 11 student Amanda, who will soon turn 17, is among the Overnewton pupils acting as tutors.
“I volunteered purely because I like helping out and thought it would be a new experience,” Amanda said.
“I enjoy giving back to the community and making a difference in their everyday lives.”
Amanda tutors a young Burmese refugee who is in Grade 5.
“When we started out she was not very confident and didn’t really talk to anyone,” Amanda said.
She said before the Overnewton students began tutoring last term, they did not know participating in the Edmund Rice program would be so rewarding.
“We were really nervous and didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
“It’s a different experience – all the students have come from different backgrounds such as south-east Asia and Africa.
“We have to find methods to convey what we wanted to teach them.
“They’re an inspiration – they make the most out of what’s given to them.”
Amanda encouraged other teenagers to volunteer as tutors to help enrich their own lives.
“It’s completely different to what we experience every day,” she said.
