Crisis Creates Support Programs For Students

Study Gold Coast created the Student Support Sponsorship Framework this year to provide financial backing for member initiatives to directly benefit students in need as a result of COVID-19. The scope of the programs created by our member organisations were as varied as the needs of their students and demonstrated once again why our education and training sector continues to place the needs of our students as our number one priority.

Initiatives ranged from chef prepared frozen meals delivered directly to numerous institutions across the city to All Saints Anglican School's camp for international boarding students who had been unable to see their parents for 6 months or more due to the extended lockdown.

Grateful Recipients 

The response from members and their students has been overwhelmingly grateful. For example, we were able to provide grocery vouchers to Air Gold Coast’s 15 international students, all of whom had lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Air Gold Coast CEO Peter Long was most appreciative:

“Thank you for your generosity Study Gold Coast. This will be a wonderful surprise and extremely welcomed by our International students. We look forward to sharing the positive impact this will have on our students. Thank You sincerely from everyone at Air Gold Coast.” 

Miami High School students received support packs including clothes, food and study resources

Emotional Well-being 

Some institutions like BROWNS English Language School provided multiple solutions from the funding they received, like accommodation relief and food support for their students, while others like Elanora State High School were concerned about the emotional well-being of students struggling with anxiety from the crisis and implemented a mental health program.

With international students isolated in a foreign country and undergoing an experience they could never have imagined most of the initiatives within the Sponsorship Framework were designed to help them and while many focused on the necessities to survive like food and accommodation, other programs centred on compassion to ensure they were emotionally supported.    

While Gold Coast educators provided specific programs for the needs of their students across the city the Gold Coast Student Hub in Southport also provided grocery packs and frozen meals to hundreds of students each week in partnership with FareShare, Foodbank Queensland, Study Brisbane and Study Queensland.