Volunteer with us
Volunteering is a great way to take action towards sustainability and contribute positively to the University community. Our volunteer opportunities offer students the chance to learn about waste education, promote sustainable habits, make friends, and engage with people across the University on topics around sustainability.
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Join the Sustainability Volunteer Network
Why become a Sustainability Volunteer?
- Your volunteered hours can count towards Melbourne Plus (recognises your volunteering with a digital credential)
- Be part of and get recognised in our annual Sustainability Awards Ceremony
- Become an advocate for sustainability while you’re on campus
- Gain skills in promotion, education and engagement and build workplace-ready skills
- Learn more about sustainability topics including waste and biodiversity
- Meet like-minded staff and students on campus
- Directly contribute to the University's Sustainability Plan 2030
Volunteer Roles
Explore our volunteer roles and position descriptions
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Waste Warrior
Attend large University events and help people to dispose of their waste correctly. Hold conversations with staff and students about the importance of sorting their waste and the University’s waste targets.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Just & Circular Economy
Expectations:
- Attend a training session.
- Present yourself in a professional and friendly manner.
- Have excellent communication skills and be comfortable talking to students and staff.
- Champion the importance of reducing waste and “binning it right”.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Walk the talk by pledging to reduce your own waste.
Training: 1-hour training session in the first two weeks of February or July for orientation volunteers.
Time commitment: 2-hour shifts
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Choose to Reuse Ambassador
Assist people in the Student Precinct with using the Choose to Reuse Service. This includes encouraging them to use the service when they purchase their meal, explaining the service or helping to promote any activation competitions hosted by the Sustainability Team.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Just & Circular Economy
Expectations:
- Attend a training session.
- Present yourself in a professional and friendly manner.
- Have excellent communication skills and be comfortable talking to students and staff.
- Champion the importance of Choosing to Reuse.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Walk the talk by pledging to use Choose to Reuse yourself.
Training: 1-hour training session in the first two weeks of February or July for orientation volunteers.
Time commitment: 2-hour shifts
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Green Caffeen Ambassador
Promote the Green Caffeen program by encouraging people to download the app, educating people about the environmental impact of single-use coffee cups and helping promote any activation competitions hosted by the Sustainability Team.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Just & Circular Economy
Expectations:
- Attend a training session.
- Present yourself in a professional and friendly manner.
- Have excellent communication skills and be comfortable talking to students and staff.
- Champion the importance of Green Caffeen.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Walk the talk by pledging to use Green Caffeen or a reusable coffee cup yourself.
Training: 1-hour training session in the first two weeks of February or July for orientation volunteers.
Time commitment: 2-hour shifts
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Community Garden Volunteer
Assist the Community Garden Coordinators in maintaining the garden, running working bees and engaging with the University community with the garden’s activities.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Healthy Ecosystems
Expectations:
- Be comfortable to participate in physical activities outside.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Be passionate about caring for our campus living ecosystems.
- Have some level of knowledge about gardening.
- Assist with hosting working bee events.
Training: A member of the Grounds Team or a Community Garden Supervisor will take you through an induction at your first volunteer shift.
Time commitment: Regular volunteers will complete 1 hour per week throughout the semester.
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Tour Guides
Host either sustainability and biodiversity tours to educate people about the sustainability initiatives and/or the biodiversity highlights at the University.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Community of sustainability learners and practitioners.
Expectations:
- Attend a training session and review the provided resources before a tour.
- Present yourself in a professional and friendly manner.
- Have excellent communication skills and be comfortable talking to students and staff.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Be passionate about championing sustainability at the University of Melbourne.
Training: A 2-hour training session at the start of each semester (these will be separate sessions for a Sustainability Tour Guide and a Biodiversity Tour Guide)
Access to resource documents.
Time commitment: 1.5-hour shifts (for a 1-hour tour), complete at least 2 tours over the semester.
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Planting Volunteer
Assist the Grounds Team in planting up garden beds across multiple campuses and helping with the general maintenance of the living ecosystems on campus.
Target area of the Sustainability Plan 2030: Healthy Ecosystems
Expectations:
- Be comfortable to participate in physical activities outside.
- Be punctual and commit to the sessions that you sign up for.
- Be passionate about caring for the living ecosystems on campus.
Training: A member of the Grounds Team will take you through an induction on the day and be there for the whole time to support you.
Time commitment: 2-5 hour sessions
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Green Impact Volunteers
See the Green Impact page for volunteer opportunities.
FAQs
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How do I become a sustainability volunteer?
Sign up for the volunteer mailing list, join the UoM Sustainability Volunteers Network and follow our Instagram to learn about volunteer opportunities. When opportunities are advertised, fill in the expression of interest form that the Sustainability Team will post, and we will contact you if your application has been successful.
You do not require any experience to become a volunteer, simply a passion for making a positive change!
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What is the time commitment?
Depending on the activities you sign up for, a volunteer “shift” can take 1-8 hours. You will be free to choose the opportunities you sign up for, but to be eligible for Melbourne Plus, you must complete at least 10 hours of voluntary engagement over the year.
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What volunteer opportunities are there?
Current volunteer opportunities include:
- Tree planters
- Reuse Ambassadors
- Waste Warriors
- Community Garden Volunteer
- Sustainability & Biodiversity Tour Guide
- Bin Auditor
- Donate, Don't Waste Volunteer
- Green Impact Project Assistant
- Green Impact Auditor
Volunteer with Green Impact
Get involved in our flagship volunteer program to receive training, connect with other students, and work with sustainably-minded staff from across the University.
Available positions
Sign up to the sustainability volunteers mailing list to be notified when 2024 volunteer positions become available.
Sign up to the volunteering newsletter
Want more?
If you have an idea for a sustainability project or task you’d like to volunteer your time for, contact the Sustainability team via email, detailing how your idea would benefit the student experience on campus.