Harambee Homework Club
Homework Club Profile
In 2024 the Learning Beyond the Bell team will be showcasing some of the programs and hardworking people in the Learning Support Sector. Linto from the Harambee Homework Club shares the club’s successes in Bendigo.
Name of Learning Support Program
Harambee Homework Club
- Is your Learning Support Program community based or school based? Regional or rural?
Initiated by Regional Victorians of Colour, The Harambee Club is community-based homework club situated at the Old Church on the Hill, Bendigo.
- Name one way you have adapted your Learning Support Program to meet the evolving needs of the students and what has the outcome been?
Kickstarted early this year, the Harambee Homework Club is centred around phonics-based reading, primarily aimed at bolstering young learners’ confidence in their reading skills. The program works predominantly with newly arrived students from refugee and migrant communities with a special focus on students from African backgrounds.
- What is a significant challenge the program faces as a whole? How do you plan to overcome this challenge?
The Homework club’s strong emphasis requires at least one tutor for every two students. However, the program has attracted many more students than we initially planned, posing a challenge in recruiting additional tutors. To address this, we reached out to the Old Church community and school groups to enlist more volunteers.
- What milestones has the program achieved so far this year?
Robust partnership with local primary schools
Developing a curriculum and resources to train the tutors
Successfully completing the initial term of running the Homework club sessions
- What do you do to celebrate your students and tutors achievements?
- Mini catchups and smoothies at the end of the each homework session
- End of the term catchups with the families
- End of the term feed back and training session with the Tutors
6. Can you share some testimonials from students, tutors or parents about the positive impact of the homework club?
M is a Year 3 student with outstanding reading and academic skills, from a single-mother refugee family of African background. Despite M’s strong academic abilities, teachers noticed her withdrawing from school activities and showing reduced interest.
The Harambee Homework Club team, familiar with M’s family through community engagement activities, invited M and her brother to join the club. We organised transportation and a social worker from our team collaborated with the school and other agencies to understand the family’s challenges, coordinating necessary support services. Regular attendance at the Harambee Club provided M with a supportive environment where she could refocus and reengage in school activities.
“Homework is the best part of my week, and I love spending time with the other kids there.”
M
If you would like your club to be profiled, or have a volunteer you’d like to celebrate, please get in touch at learningbeyondthebell@cmy.net.au