Events and opportunities
Your volunteer assignment may have ended but your volunteer journey can continue through the Returned Australian Volunteer Network.
RAVN offers many ways for returned volunteers to stay connected with the Australian Volunteers Program, Australian aid initiatives, and your fellow returned volunteers. We also provide a range of opportunities for returned volunteers to contribute your skills and experience back into the program and support new volunteers.
RAVN events
Connect with like-minded returned volunteers online and in-person at a RAVN event. Our alumni events bring returned volunteers from all chapters of the volunteer program together for networking and professional development opportunities in capital cities and some regional centres throughout the year. We hope to see you at an alumni event soon!
RAVN Professional Development
RAVN is committed to supporting the professional development of past volunteers beyond the completion of their volunteer assignments. The program will be participating in the below conferences this year. If you are intending to participate in one of these conferences get in touch to see how we might be able to collaborate.
ACEL Disability and Inclusion Conference - 16 - 17 May 2022, Brisbane
Speech Pathology Australia National Conference - 22 - 25 May 2022, Melbourne
International Conference on Emergency Medicine - 14 - 19 June 2022, Melbourne
If you are thinking about participating in another conference or seminar, we might be able to support you. Contact us to talk about it. Opportunities will continue to be promoted on this page and shared via the RAVN Update newsletter and via your state or territory’s Facebook group.
RAVN Representatives
Your RAVN Representatives are returned volunteers who voluntarily lead networking events and activities across the country, and advocate for the Australian Volunteers Program. The National Indigenous RAVN Representative is a voice for Indigenous returned volunteers in our alumni community. Meet the RAVN Representatives and contact them to say hello, find out more about their roles, and check what networking events are on near you.
Meet your RAVN Representatives
Join the RAVN Representative Team
Have you completed an international volunteer assignment (including remote volunteer assignment)? Are you keen to voluntarily lead RAVN online and in-person networking events and activities, manage and create interesting Facebook content and participate in high-level Australian Volunteers Program advocacy? If yes, then please get in touch with us today! We're looking for new members to join our team.
RAVN Mentoring Program
We offer returned volunteer mentors and new volunteer mentees the opportunity to learn and grow through one-to-one mentoring relationships or small group mentoring. Participants will expand their networks, gain new knowledge and share insights on the volunteer experience, all supported by a specially designed online mentoring platform.
Go Back<>Give Back update
To recognise the contribution of past volunteers to development in our region and to celebrate lasting connections between past volunteers and partner organisations, RAVN previously ran the Go Back<>Give Back initiative. The initiative recognised the contribution of past volunteers to development in our region and celebrated lasting connections between past volunteers and their partner organisations.
We are excited that the Go Back<>Give Back grants are now part of the Australian Volunteers Program’s broader grant program.
In Round 5 of the Impact Fund, former and current volunteers are able to work alongside their partner organisation to apply for a grant of up to AUD$10,000 and provide remote support to complete the project.
This round is open to current and past partner organisations who meet current due diligence requirements and are located in a current program country.
Small grants project with the Australian Volunteers Program with GLAMI in Tanzania
GLAMI (Girls Livelihood and Mentorship Initiative), delivered a project with their partner in Tanzania to improve hygiene facilities for students.
Learn about RAVN, discover more opportunities for returned volunteers to stay connected and access helpful resources.