BOU41822 Science Teacher Mentor

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Kia ora, Halo and warm Pacific greetings

Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.

Connecting People - Transforming Lives.

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Bougainville. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.

We are looking for an experienced teacheror someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience).

The length of this assignment in Bougainville will be between 6 - 12months.
VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.

Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako - Essential skills/experiences for the role
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we're looking for.

Experience working as a Science teacher or Laboratory technician
Experience working in a secondary school environment
Experience working collaboratively in a cross-cultural setting
Experience mentoring or coaching staff to support development

Important note : Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.

Our Partner Organisation - Arawa Secondary School (ASec)
Arawa Secondary School (ASec) was established in 1975. It is located in Arawa, Central Bougainville. It is a day school with a student roll of 800 with a large catchment area.

The Upper Secondary (grades 11-12) teach the following subjects: English, Mathematics A, Maths B, Physics, Chemistry, Biology History, Economics, Accounting, Business Studies, Geography and Physical Education. The Lower Secondary (grades 9-10) teach the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Commerce, Home Economics, Business Studies, Religion, Arts and Personal Development.

The school was closed for about 8 years during Bougainville civil war and was reopened in 1997 with the young Bougainvilleans coming back to complete their education. The school has a professional group of 38 staff, led by a principal and management group. It is regularly one of the top-performing schools in Bougainville.

The Assignment:
Currently ASec has no practical element to its science teaching, instead it is purely theoretical. To foster a passion for learning and deeper knowledge in the sciences, the ASec leadership team are hoping a skilled VSA volunteer will be able to provide the mentoring and guidance to the science teachers to deliver practical science lessons for students, with additional support in safety, chemical storage, and additional science learning.

The volunteer on this assignment will be reporting directly to the Head of the Science Department and will be accountable to the ASec Principal on a day-to-day basis. The volunteer will also be working closely with the Senior Subject Master as well as the other Science teachers.

The Country - Bougainville
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, (Otonomos Region bilongBogenvilin Tok Pisin), previously known as the North Solomons, it is the largest island in the Solomons Island archipelago, situated on the border between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The population is roughly 300,000 (as of 2023), with most people living on the largest island, Bougainville Island. Buka Island is over a close stretch of water. Volunteer Service Abroad has offices in both Arawa (Bougainville Island) and Buka (Buka Island).

Although the region is just over 2,300 square kilometres, the terrain is rugged. This makes travel slow on roads and boats. It is a mountainous region covered in forest and sea, making agriculture and fishing vital to people's lives.

The people are resilient, and all are likely to have been personally affected by the civil conflict in the 1990s, but they wish to develop. There are substantial cultural aspects to be considered when living in ARoB, which will be covered in briefings before volunteers depart and upon arrival.

VSA has been active in Bougainville for over 25 years. We started in the year 1998 with a programme focusing on response and reconstruction post-crisis.
As part of the New Zealand government's commitment to delivering a 'peace dividend', we set up our field office in Arawa (the conflict zone in the 90s).

VSA volunteers have since been deployed in Buka, Buin, Nissan, Selau-Suir, Tinputz, and Wakunai districts to name a few. Today, our volunteers work alongside the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) across various community development, education, and health departments, along with local and international NGOs in Bougainville. Together, we aim to build an overall sustainable Bougainville community.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply:
Apply for this opportunity through our website.
For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa. org. nz .

To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser:

/vsa. org. nz/assets/Assignment-Descriptions-2019-2020/2025/May-2025/Science-Teacher-Mentor-Arawa-BOU-41822. pdf

Applications Close: 20 June 2025

For a copy of the Assignment Description, please click the apply button which will direct you to the VSA website. You will be able to download a copy from the advertisement.

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Community Services & Development 51-100 employees
Volunteer Service Abroad - Te Tūao Tāwāhi operates volunteering programmes across the Pacific. We work with local partners and communities to establish long-lasting relationships that are locally led with an ethical approach to ensure our assignments are relevant and sustainable.
We provide the resources, skills, and knowledge so that the impact achieved during an assignment can be built upon for years to come. Our partners include regional and central government agencies, local and national NGOs, education and health organisations. We additionally work with New Zealand and regional partners such as UNICEF, World Vision, UN Women and the Pacific Community (SPC).
We provide the resources, skills, and knowledge so that the impact achieved during an assignment can be built upon for years to come. Our partners include regional and central government agencies, local and national NGOs, education and health organisations. We additionally work with New Zealand and regional partners such as UNICE.