COMMUNITY
The Art of Listening
International students learn (and teach) in our congregations and communities
Tanya, Dianne and Didi (Wen absent) provided a special lunch for the Pilgrim Uniting Church Lounge visitors. Photo: Supplied
Edited by Patricia Rademaker The Flinders University College of Education, Psychology and Social Work has partnered with several Uniting Church congregations to create Community Development field placements for international students completing Masters of Social Work degrees. Flinders University Field Education Coordinator Andrea Tschoner believes that the students have benefited from learning and contributing to the many projects and initiatives within the community centres. “They have successfully developed new ideas, facilitated programs and learnt about the complexities faced by people impacted by homelessness, mental health, isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, poverty and financial hardship,” she says. “Students also greatly benefit from receiving guidance and personal support as they experience issues around isolation, lack of opportunities to interact with ‘locals’ and difficulties in adjusting to ‘Western society’.”
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Clayton Wesley and the Spire Community Clayton Wesley and the associated Spire Community is one of the Uniting Church congregations that offer placements to UniSA students, based at Hope’s Cafe and in collaboration with Uniting Communities. “We are glad to provide a place for students to do their practical placements and we are blessed to have their hard work and insight into this complicated work of building community,” says Rev Paul Turley. For Chinese student Ziyan Wang this placement is her first contact with the church and a Western community. “I really like the organisation’s mode of operation. When I return to my country, I hope to imitate this model to help more people,” she says. Congolese student Chancelline commented: “I get to practise my
professional standards through communicating with different people. I really love how the Spire Community assists and cares for people, by giving them food, clothes, connecting them to different services and communicating with them in a respectful manner.”
Blackwood Uniting Church Jacqui Harrison is the Community Program Coordinator at Blackwood Uniting Church where she has coordinated placements for Social Work students. Here students undertake a project of their choice and assist with church projects. She shares about projects involving some of the past students: “Canh, a vision-impaired student from Vietnam, provided music therapy and also organized a concert for the community classes. Alice, from China, undertook a survey with Blackwood’s Mainly Music
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