2. Community Connect (CC) was co-designed and
founded by University of South Australia (UniSA)
students and staff in 2014 and is the student-led
award winning arm of UniSA Volunteering.
Instead of organising things for students, CC assists them to do it themselves!
CC gives students the opportunity to identify the issues they feel passionate
about, links them to influential NGOs that address these topics, and helps
them to turn their ideas into professional, engaging, and impactful projects,
campaigns, and events. This approach allows students to make the decisions,
to learn, to make mistakes, and to grow whilst enhancing their leadership
and employability skills. Simultaneously, the NGOs involved benefit as UniSA
students help them to achieve their organisational targets and goals.
But this is not all CC does. CC also aims to build an inclusive, diverse, and
sustainable community of like-minded student volunteers at UniSA because
life is so much better when you can share your experiences with friends!
Vision
‘Our vision is for UniSA to have a strong connected student
body whose members use their skills to make a difference in
the wider community while they are at university, empowering
them to become active citizens for life’.
Mission
‘To support UniSA students to achieve positive change while
at university and in the future’.
Aims
> To build an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable community
of UniSA student volunteers.
> To help UniSA students achieve their personal goals in the
areas of civic engagement, wellbeing, leadership,
and employability.
> To make positive community impact.
Community Connect logo (design: Josh Evens)

3. Guiding principles
Community Connect is founded upon a number of
key principles:
> Collaboration
> Diversity
> Inclusion
> Reciprocity
> Self-development
> Accountability
> Positive impact
> Creativity
> Sustainability
Organisation
CC is a unique initiative and different to anything
else on offer at UniSA or at any other university in
Australia. Currently CC has an executive committee
consisting of students as well as a diverse range of
student-led teams. These teams:
> Design and implement projects, campaigns,
products, and events in collaboration with
local, national, and global NGOs and/or the
public sector.
> Organise social activities - both on and
off campus - to help strengthen the
UniSA student community and improve
student wellbeing.
Student Engagement
Spectrum
The CC Student Engagement Spectrum demonstrates
how students can engage with CC and its initiatives.1
It also shows the increasing level of impact students
can make as they progress from the stage of seeking
information to empowerment.
1
(Jongsma & Bruerville, 2015)
Women of the World Fashion Show in collaboration with the
International Women’s Development Agency

4. Community Connect (CC) – Student Engagement Spectrum
Seek information Provide feedback Participate Collaborate Empower
Students collect information from
peers involved in CC, UniSA staff
and/or community partners about:
> Community Connect.
> Available volunteer and
leadership roles.
> Upcoming CC events.
> The benefits of CC involvement.
Students provide feedback and
recommendations and share their
ideas about:
> CC and its projects, activities,
events, and campaigns.
> The types of projects they’d love
to see happen at UniSA.
> The activities that should be a
part of this.
Students participate in CC by:
> Attending CC get-togethers,
activities, and events.
> Participating in a CC project
or campaign.
> Helping out as an episodic
volunteer.
> Engaging with CC online.
> Joining a multi-disciplinary CC
project team.
Students professionally work
together in multi-disciplinary
teams on CC projects in
collaboration with community
partners.
While working on these projects
students are being mentored by
UniSA staff who they can ask for
help and advice.
Students have taken full ownership
over their CC projects. The final
decision making is instigated
by them and they are able to
demonstrate the success of their
projects and take full praise.
Tools used Tools used Tools used Tools used Tools used
> Peer-to-peer.
> Pre-participation Tool.
> Social media.
> E-mails.
> Volunteer Fair.
> Pop-up volunteer booths.
> Online resources.
> USASA & UniSA website.
> Volunteer campfires.
> One-to-one consultations.
> CC events.
> Student portal.
> Peer-to-peer.
> Surveys and questionnaires.
> CC get-togethers, activities,
and events.
> Initial CC project information
meetings.
> CC AGM.
> Social media.
> E-mails.
> Peer-to-peer.
> CC get-togethers, activities,
and events.
> CC projects and campaigns.
> Social media.
> Workshops.
> Initial CC project information
meetings.
> CC AGM.
> CC Handbook (in progress).
> CC Project Design &
Management tools.
> Regular project team meetings.
> Meeting agendas and minutes.
> SharePoint & OneDrive.
> Facebook groups.
> On-going email, phone and face
to face support from staff.
> Professional development
training and workshops.
> Participatory decision making.
> CC Personal and Professional
Development Tool.
> CC Evaluation and Impact
Measurement Tool.
> Evaluation meetings.
> Project completion report.
> References.
Outcome Outcome Outcome Outcome Outcome
Students are aware of the
opportunities that are available to
them and how participation in CC:
> Helps them to grow on a
personal as well as professional
level.
> Benefits our community partners
and the wider community.
Students feel valued and taken
serious as CC, UniSA Volunteering,
and community partner staff
take their recommendations on
board. As a result students feel
encouraged to participate in CC
projects, events and campaigns.
Students who participated in
CC activities have an enhanced
awareness around social justice,
environmental and/or public
health issues and the work of our
community partners. Ongoing
involvement has also helped
participants to improve their
wellbeing as they now feel part
of a community of likeminded
students.
Students have enhanced their
employability by developing their
skills-set. In addition they have
delivered a positive outcome
to CC’s community partners by
assisting them to achieve their
organisational targets and goals.
Students are able to translate
their project successes into
responsibilities and achievements
to showcase on their resumes
as well as acquire professional
references from UniSA and
community partner staff.
IMPACT

5. Student-led
CC uses a bottom up approach based on leading
community and civic engagement theories
including the International Association for Public
Participation’s ‘Public Participation Spectrum’. 2
Staff
members provide mentoring and support, but
students are in charge of CC and have ownership
over the initiative, its projects, and future direction.
This way of working encourages student ownership,
commitment, and sustainable engagement.
Cross collaborative approach
Students work in cross-disciplinary student-led
teams consisting of students representing different
student cohorts:
> College, bachelor, master and PHD students
> Local and international students
> School leavers and mature
aged students
> Students with a disability
> Internal and external students
They also work with NGO representatives,
community members, university and USASA staff,
public servants, business owners, etc. This approach
inspires students to not only learn from each other,
but also from the other stakeholders, and partners
involved in CC projects.
Distinctive characteristics
2
(IAP2, 2007)
Women of the World Fashion Show in collaboration with the International
Women’s Development Agency (picture: Israel Baldago)

6. Entrepreneurial
CC aligns with the UniSA focus of being the
University of Enterprise. CC encourages students
to think outside of the box and use design, social
science, and business principles to co-design
innovative high impact products, events, projects,
and campaigns.
3
(Kolb, 1984)
4
(Threshold Consulting, 2008)
Learning
CC encourages students to apply the theories
they’ve learned in class to real life situations, try
new things, and step out of their comfort zone.
Theories that underlie CC’s way of working include
Kolb’s experiential learning theory3
and Rohnke’s
‘Comfort Stretch Panic Model’4
. In order to track
their learning students are encouraged to use the
CC Personal and Professional Development Tool.
Prior to their participation students self-assess their
skills and choose their focus areas for personal and
professional growth. Whilst working on their projects
they keep track of their progress by adding relevant
information in the demonstration boxes under goals
and skills assessment every time they believe they
improved in a particular area.
Food Challenge in collaboration with Foodbank SA

7. Civic engagement
CC assists UniSA to achieve its strategic action plan,
specifically action set 5: engagement with society
outside of the campus and classroom – encourage
volunteering5
. In addition it helps students to
demonstrate their commitment to ethical action and
social responsibility as a professional and citizen,
one of the university’s seven graduate qualities.6
Students that are involved in CC are
encouraged to:
> Use their skills and passions to make a difference in
the wider community.
> Increase their awareness around social justice,
environmental, and/or public health issues.
> Engage with each other and the wider community
by being involved in on and off campus activities as
well as community projects, events, and campaigns
in collaboration with local, national, and global
NGOs and/or the public sector.
In order to help build long lasting sustainable
engagement CC uses the Common Cause
Foundation’s approach that’s focused on
strengthening students’ intrinsic values such as
having a concern for others, self-respect, creativity,
and social justice over reinforcing extrinsic values
like wealth, a concern about image, and authority.7
Wellbeing
University students are an at-risk population for
mental health problems. To help students reach
their full academic potential and career aspirations
and help prevent mental illness CC:
> Provides students the opportunity to give back to
others. Evidence shows that volunteering has a
positive impact on students’ health and wellbeing.8
> Helps (vulnerable) students to connect with
others, build their confidence, feel good about
themselves, and increase their self-worth.
5
(University of South Australia, 2013)
6
(University of South Australia, n.d.)
7
(Holmes, et al., 2011)
8
(Leigh, et al., 2011), (Nielsen, 2016)
Community Sleepout in collaboration with Vinnies

8. Employability
The 2014 Graduate Careers Survey showed that
Australia-wide graduate employment has reached
the lowest levels since the 1992-93 recession, with
only 71.3% of bachelor degree graduates finding
work within four months of completing their studies.9
Due to the current competitive labour market it’s
important for students to get involved in extra-
curricular initiatives that help them enhance their
employability. CC offers students this opportunity.
Students that are a part of a student-led
CC team:
> Gain professional work experience by working
on a real life project in collaboration with a local,
national or global NGO and/or the public sector.
> Contribute to helping that NGO and/or public
sector department achieve their organisational
targets and goals by achieving positive project
outputs and outcomes.
> Develop their skill-sets, especially in the areas of
team work, communication, time management,
creativity, problem solving, and leadership.
That meaningful volunteering opportunities such as
being a part of a student-led CC project team, help
students to enhance their employability is supported
by the outcomes of a 2015 study commissioned by
Australia’s largest job website SEEK10
. Of the 524 hirers
that were surveyed:
> 85% believe that relevant volunteering
experience is just as credible as paid work.
> 92% think relevant volunteering experience
can provide an advantage during the interview
process.
> 86% agrees that it can be the deciding factor in
choosing between two job candidates.
> 89% recommend that job candidates volunteer
in a relevant area at some point in their career
to gain valuable experience and to give them a
competitive edge.
The employers that were involved in the study also
say that volunteering experience paints a better
picture of a candidate’s personality and core values.
The top three personality traits associated with job
applicants that have volunteered are being motivated
(55%), being socially responsible (50%), and being
proactive (41%).
After finishing their projects UniSA staff members
help students to translate their CC experience into
responsibilities and achievements to showcase on
their resumes and use during job interviews.
9
(Guthrie, 2015)
10
(Nature Research, 2015)

9. Most students are involved in CC as an extra-curricular
activity, but participation can also count towards
a student’s degree if approved by their program
director. Participation in CC can be (part of) an
assessed placement, project or assignment or count
as an elective. In addition students can participate
in CC through the university’s Community Service
Learning (CSL) Project Course - EDUC 4186.11
Community Connect as part of the curriculum
11
(University of South Australia, n.d.)
Zombie Walk Fundraiser 2014 in collaboration with Foodbank SA
(picture: Elham Fisher)

10. The organisations that CC works with and the projects
that CC works on are sourced in the following ways:
> NGOs or public sector departments
take the initiative and approach CC in regards to
collaboration on a specific topic or project.
> Students identify an NGO partner they want to
work with.
> Students identify a need or a specific issue they
want to address or have a specific project idea in
mind.
> UniSA staff initiates a project.
UniSA Volunteering ensures that CC’s community
partners are officially registered as an NGO or
are a Public Service Department and that project
opportunities comply with the Australian Fair
Work Act.12
After a collaboration and/or project idea is
proposed by a stakeholder, an initial meeting takes
place to assess whether the proposed initiative
suits CC’s objectives. If this is the case, a project
brief and/or recruitment ad are put together and
advertised through the CC and UniSA Volunteering
communication channels. Students that are
interested in joining a project team apply by sending a
cover letter and their resume. In general each student
that wants to participate will be able to do so.
Community Connect – project implementation
12
(Fair work Ombudsman, n.d.)
Community Sleepout 2015 in collaboration with Vinnies
(design: Lisa-May Pellaschiar)

11. 2. Interpretation
> Capture learnings: What has the team learned
from its research?
> Search for meaning: What do the research
outcomes mean? What connections can be found
in the data?
> Frame opportunities: Turning the research
outcomes into brainstorming questions.
3. Ideation
> Brainstorm: Coming up with innovative ideas.
> Select promising ideas: Voting on the
different ideas.
> Redefine ideas: Finding ways to evolve and
develop the idea(s) further.
Each CC project starts with an information session
organised in collaboration with the NGO and/or public
sector partner.
Once a team has been formed the students divide
team roles amongst themselves using a democratic
process. Students that are part of a project team meet
at least fortnightly. Minutes are taken, actions, time-
lines and budgets set, with the student-led teams
being responsible for delivery. UniSA and community
partner staff provide mentoring and support.
Each project can be divided into different project
phases.13
However these phases don’t necessarily
follow a linear process. Some project stages might
be implemented at the same time. In addition some
steps might be skipped based on who’s the initiator of
a particular project, the amount of work that’s already
done prior to putting the project brief together, and
available resources.
1. Discovery
> Understand the challenge: Why is CC organising
this project in collaboration with the partner
organisation(s)? What does the team hope to
achieve?
> Define measures of success: Which results does
the team hope to achieve? Which indicators will
the team use to measure project success?
> Prepare and do research: E.g. mapping the
project area, performing interviews, running
focus groups, reading academic and/or news
articles, researching the website of the partner
organisation(s), reading their annual reports, and
participatory observation.
Project phases
13
(The phases described are adapted from: (IDEO, 2012) and (Abrignani, et al., 2000)

12. 4. Experimentation
> Make ideas tangible: Translating the idea(s)
into an engaging product, campaign, event, and/
or activity.
> Create a prototype: Create a first example of
what the product and/or activity will look like.
> Source and capture feedback: Find out which
aspects need improvement.
> Integrate feedback: Improve the product,
campaign, event, and/or activity by embedding
the feedback.
5. Implementation
> Identify resources: Specify the materials, people,
and funds that are needed to turn the project into
a success.
> Write a project plan using the CC Project Plan
Template.
> Seek feedback: Ask the UniSA staff mentor(s) and
project partner(s) for feedback.
> Divide project tasks: Which team members will be
responsible for what? Potentially additional members
need to be recruited if certain skills that are needed
to turn the project into a success are missing within
the team.
> Write plans for the different project areas:
Fundraising, marketing, event management, etc.
> Perform project tasks.
> Monitor: Evaluate the project’s progress? How’s the
project going? Is the team collaborating well? Is the
project operating on time and within its resources?
> Project comes to fruition: Product is ready, event
takes place, campaign is being implemented, etc.
6. Evaluation
> Prepare and perform stakeholder evaluation:
how do people outside of the project team, e.g.
participants of a CC event or users of a CC product,
value its success?
> Fill in the CC Evaluation and Impact
Measurement Tool: team members, project
partners, and the UniSA staff mentor(s) fill in
the tool.
> Organise an evaluation meeting with all the
project partners.
7. Finish
> Write project report.
> Officially thank project sponsors and inform them
about the project outcomes.
> Celebrate!

13. Each CC project has different team roles depending
on the project partner(s) and project aims. Examples
of CC roles include:
> Project Manager
> Fundraising Coordinator
> Volunteer Recruiter & Coordinator
> Researcher
> Graphic, Web and/or Interior Designer
> Marketing and Communication Coordinator
> Creative Writer
> Videographer
> IT Specialist
> Events and Logistics Coordinator
> Finance Manager
> Specialist / Advisor on a specific topic
> Photographer
> Multimedia Coordinator
> Project Evaluator
In general tasks can be aligned with students’
interests and their focus for personal and professional
development. If students want to take on a CC project
as an assessed part of their degree we ask them to
put a list of tasks together that they would like to
work on that aligns with their studies. The school that
they’re a part of is then asked to assess this proposal
and approve the student’s participation.
Quality control
To monitor progress and measure the success of
their projects students use a range of tools specially
designed for CC. While working on their projects
students are being mentored and supported by the
community partner, CC alumni, and/or UniSA staff in
order to ensure that projects:
> Add value to the community partner organisation
and the community.
> Are in line with the community partner’s and
UniSA’s needs and goals.
> Adhere to relevant legal/regulatory processes
and/or procedures.
> Are being run professionally, on time and to tight
budgets.
Timeline
CC projects can start any time of the year and their
duration is usually 3 to 12 months.
Team roles
Blood Drive in collaboration with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service

14. How are Community Connect’s results measured?
CC uses the specially developed CC Evaluation and
Impact Measurement Tool to measure the impact of
its initiatives. After each project’s finished:
> Members of the student-led team, the partner
organisation(s) and the UniSA staff mentor(s) fill
in the tool.
> An evaluation meeting is being organised.
Outcomes of the above are gathered in an
evaluation report.
Outputs
In order to measure outputs the following proof is
being used to measure project success:
> Sign-up sheets with signatures.
> Pictures and videos.
> Physical products that have been developed and
events that have been organised.
> Prove of press coverage (copies of news articles,
etc.).
Outcomes
Outcomes of CC projects are measured via:
> Surveys.
> Interviews and Focus Groups.
> The CC Evaluation & Impact Measurement Tool.
> The CC Personal & Professional Development
Assessment tool.
> Data provided to the team by the project
partner(s).
> Testimonials.
In addition to the evaluation at the end of each
project, CC projects are also monitored whilst they are
running so that changes can be made if necessary in
order to secure positive project outcomes.

15. Examples of Community Connect projects
Since its inception
CC has collaborated
with a wide range of
community partners
through various
student-led initiatives
and community
projects:
> Vinnies - UniSA Community Sleepout, Vinnies
Fashion Show, Pop-up Activities on Campus.
> Foodbank - Food Challenge, World Food Day
Forum, Zombie Walk, Multicultural Cookbook,
Recipe Cards, Hamper Packing.
> YWCA Adelaide & Rotary - She’s Artistic Female
Festival of Arts.
> Red Cross Blood Service - UniSA Blood Drive.
> Blair Athol North Primary School, UniSA Sport
and Development, Rotary, City of Port Adelaide
Enfield - Multicultural Sports Day for Refugee
Children, their parents, and other new community
members.
> IWDA - Miss Representation Film Night, Women of
the World Fashion Show, She Speaks: The Power
of an Educated Girl Panel Session.
> Red Cross - The Change Maker Express, Ban the
Bomb: Anti-Nuclear Weapons Campaign.
> Divine Script - Development of an experiential
learning experience to address the challenges
that are being faced by sex-workers, marginalised
women and children living in the Kolkata slums
in India.
> Share the Dignity - #BloodyHell Sanitary
Products Drive.
> The UniSA student community - Social events
organised by and for students.

16. Results
anadditional
200+
volunteered,
andover
4000
students were engaged
through CC initiatives.
Since its inception
100+ students
led projects,

17. Community impact
A series of products and events were
developed including 2 workshops,
15 community events, a free
online cookbook, a series of
recipe cards, and an intercultural
diversity game.
$42,500+
was raised for CC’s partner
NGOs and the communities
they serve.
CC provided lots of in-kind support to
its community partner including
100kg+ clothes
and 75kg+ food
for people in need.
CC helped double
the number of UniSA
Blood
donations
in 2015.
CC contributed thousands
of volunteer hours to
Community Partner initiatives.
CC enhanced awareness within
the UniSA community around the
issues that are being addressed
by our community partners
including food insecurity,
homelessness, women’s rights,
nuclear weapons, cultural
diversity, the need for blood
donations, etc.
+Through their
contributions UniSA
students have achieved
the following outputs
and outcomes for CC’s
community partners:

18. Community Connect – Executive Committee
In order to assist CC members
and facilitate their engagement
with a variety of different
NGOs, CC has established
the Community Connect
Executive Committee.
The committee features a group of hardworking and
engaged students who work together with UniSA
staff mentors with the aim to create strategies
and maximise positive outcomes to CC as a whole.
Through regular meetings, committee members are
able to table new ideas, work on ongoing projects,
evaluate previous activities and develop strategic
plans to assist CC’s members, different projects, and
the community partners in making their organisations
and initiatives move forward.
Additionally, once a particular project idea has been
concretised and the action plan is put into work, the
committee helps to recruit volunteers and organise
fundraising events in order to provide financial
assistance to all volunteering projects.
Being part of a board such as the Community Connect
Executive Committee is an outstanding opportunity
for students who feel passionate about volunteering
and giving back to their community.
Besides working together with several partners under
different projects, the committee is also involved
in a variety of social activities that are a great way
for students to meet new people and broaden their
network. Another important outcome of undertaking
a leadership role within CC is gaining experience and
skills such as leadership, problem solving, and the
ability to deal with different people and cultures that
will most likely be useful in both student’s personal
and professional life.
All UniSA students are welcome to apply for any
leadership position within the Community Connect
Committee. Once a member of the committee,
students are expected to actively undertake the
duties of their particular role for a period of one year.
After that period, students may continue with their
roles or step back and let someone else fill their
position through election.
Advisory Board
CC is currently in the process of establishing an
advisory board consisting of alumni, UniSA staff,
and industry representatives that CC’s executive
committee and CC project teams can turn to for
advice in order to help them improve CC as well as its
projects.
Community Connect Fundraiser in collaboration with Lipton

19. Contact
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any
questions about CC. We also welcome inquiries from
people – students, NGO representatives, sponsors,
mentors, etc. - who would like to get involved in,
collaborate with, or sponsor CC.
Contact details
UniSA Volunteering
Email - volunteering@unisa.edu.au
Community Connect Executive Committee
Email - communityconnect.unisa@gmail.com
facebook.com/groups/UniSACommunityConnect
Instagram.com/community_connect
Blood Drive in collaboration with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service
(picture: David McFarlane)

20. Bibliography
> Abrignani, B., Gomes, R. & de Vilder, D., 2000.
Project Management T-Kit 3. 1st ed. Strasbourg:
Council of Europe Publishing.
> Fair work Ombudsman, n.d. Unpaid Work. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/
templates-and-guides/fact-sheets/unpaid-work/
unpaid-work
[Accessed 26 July 2016].
> Guthrie, B., 2015 Melbourne. Australian Graduate
Survey 2014, Melbourne: Graduate Careers
Australia Ltd.
> Holmes, T., Elena, B., Richerd, H. & Tom Wakeford,
2011. The Common Cause Handbook: A Guide to
Values and Frames for Campaigners, Community
Organisers, Civil Servants, Fundraisers, Educators,
Social Entrepreneurs, Activists, Funders, Politicians,
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> IAP2, 2007. The IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum.
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http://www.designthinkingforeducators.com
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> Kolb, D. A., 1984. Experiential Learning Experience
as a source of learning and development. New
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> Leigh, R. et al., 2011. UN State of the World’s
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> Nature Research, 2015. Unpaid work can pay off for
Australians. s.l.:SEEK.
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problems. [Online] Available at:
http://www.thomaswnielsen.net/giving-key-
solving-problems
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> Threshold Consulting, 2008. Learning Out Doors
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http://www.adam-europe.eu/prj/4266/prj/
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[Accessed 26 July 2016].
> University of South Australia, 2013. Crossing the
Horizon. [Online] Available at:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/about-unisa/strategic-
action-plan-2013-2018/
[Accessed 26 July 2016].
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http://unisa.edu.au/cslproject
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http://www.unisa.edu.au/student-life/teaching-
and-learning/graduate-qualities
[Accessed 26 July 2016].