Be a Learning Friend today!
By joining us as a Learning Friend in our Befriending programme, you will be a member of a warm, close-knitted community where your contributions will make a difference on the children and their families!
Our Learning Friends
We are very thankful to have a dedicated team of volunteers who conduct weekly befriending sessions through English creative reading with our children. They are the heart and soul of New Life Stories and we would not have come this far if not for their dedication and compassion!
Hear what our Learning Friends have to say about the Befriending programme
“I always believe that if you love and teach a child, as well as impart good values in their life, they will not go wrong when they grow up.”
— Baw Ai Hong
“Volunteering with New Life Stories has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was not easy for me to adapt to a new environment as I take time to warm up to strangers. This experience has left an imprint in me, to be a better person not only for myself but especially for the children who look up to me every Saturday!”
— Zawani Ali
“When I found out that one of the kids really liked spider monkeys (he had seen them on a trip to the Zoo, and mentioned them at least 5 times in the hour I was there), I went to sleuth out books on monkeys in the library.”
— Lyn Lee
“Reading to the children has made me more patient and flexible. Also, as the saying goes – giving gives back – and this is absolutely true! I always feel so energised after meeting with them!”
— Cecile Gasnault
“The children are mood-changers. No matter how hard a day I have had, I always leave their home feeling better. Seeing their progress over time - how they have become stronger, more confident readers is extremely rewarding. As volunteers we think we are giving, but no, I receive and learn so much from them.”
— Sabina Fernandez
Be a Learning Friend today!
Role:
A Learning Friend is a trained volunteer who befriends our child(ren) of age 3 to 12 (usually 1-to-1) through conversations, English storytelling, creative activities and play at the family’s home for 1 hour per week with a minimum commitment level of 6 months.
Objectives:
To build long-lasting relationships with the children, instill the joy of learning, improve their English literacy through reading, and boost their confidence and prosocial skills so that they can be school-ready. To ensure that the children can have educational and emotional stability for a fairer start in school and are not left behind in their crucial early years of development.
Measurable Outcomes:
Behaviour and receptiveness, expressiveness, reading ability, as well as speaking fluency of the children.
Requirements:
18 years old and above, fluent in English.
Onboarding, Support & Engagement:
To be qualified as a Learning Friend, you will first need to be matched to an assignment by our Volunteer Relations & Engagement Team before attending our face-to-face volunteer onboarding session. A volunteer manager will be assigned to support you in your volunteering journey as you kickstart your befriending sessions with the children thereafter. You will be required to complete a monthly online feedback form to track the progress of every child.
Hope to see you at our next volunteer onboarding!
Date: 18 or 25 May 2024 (Sat)
Time: 10am - 1pm