Digital Literacy and Learning Technologies Assistant - Univol
Closing Date: 01 August 2026
Category: UniVol
Sub Category: Education Support
Our Objective:
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.
Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) connects volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
We are New Zealand's largest and most experienced volunteering agency working in international development, placing over 100 volunteers each year. For the last twenty years the VSA has been operating our Univol programme, a volunteering programme with assignments specifically designed with recent graduates in mind. We are looking to deploy three volunteers in 2027 to work in the education sector in Papua New Guinea. Each of these assignments represents an amazing opportunity to get involved in developing capability to support the education sector to utilise and manage their digital resources. While the three Univol assignments in Papua New Guinea will be working across different education providers, they will all be based in and around Kokopo, East New Britain.
Our Partner and Assignment Summary:
For this assignment we have chosen to work with Sacred Heart International Catholic School (SHICS), under the Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, is a long-established Catholic educational institution located at Vunapope in Kokopo. The school serves students from Preschool to Secondary level and continues to play an important role in the educational, social, and spiritual development of the Kokopo community and the wider East New Britain Province. SHICS is committed to developing well-rounded, confident, and values-driven students through strong academic preparation, high standards, and a commitment to service. As a Catholic institution, the school promotes integrity, respect, community engagement, and holistic education grounded in the traditions of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
As digital technologies become increasingly important in education, SHICS has identified digital literacy and technology-supported learning as key priorities for the school’s continued growth and development. The school has already taken important steps in this area through the adoption of the Microsoft 365 Education platform and improved internet connectivity, creating greater opportunities to strengthen teaching and learning through digital tools, expand access to educational resources, and support improved learning outcomes across all year levels.
A volunteer deployed on this assignment would be working closely with the team at the SHICS, though mostly with teachers, library staff, ICT support staff, and students. All of the work would be built around supporting staff and students to use digital technologies more confidently within everyday teaching, learning, communication, and wider school activities. The team at SHICS are keen interested in getting support around the preparation and delivery of workshops, training sessions, and digital literacy activities, while also assisting with the development and organisation of digital learning materials, simple user guides, and online educational resources.There may also be opportunities to get involved with supporting the use of online learning platforms, classroom technologies, and digital library resources to improve access to teaching and learning materials and encourage the practical use of digital tools in classroom practice.
About Papua New Guinea:
The people of Papua New Guinea are renowned across the Pacific for their warmth and hospitality. Most of the population are Melanesian, but some are Micronesian or Polynesian. Papua New Guinea actually has over 800 known languages that are spoken in country, however there are three official languages: Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu. The country is also predominately Christian, with indigenous faith and spirituality still important to many locals.
As previously mentioned the three Univol assignments for Papua New Guinea would all be based in Kokopo, East New Britain. This is one of the main hubs that the VSA operates in and where we regularly have volunteers deployed to. The VSA also has a Programme Manager and Country Programme Advisor based in country to help support volunteers.
Skills we are seeking:
We believe that for a volunteer to succeed on this assignment they would need a number of key skills. One of the skillsets a volunteer would need for this assignment would be solid understanding of digital and technical systems, but also the confidence and capability to share this information. Unsurprisingly communication skills and the ability to collaborate with others and build connections effectively would also be of critical importance. Previous experience or a strong interest in training and education would also be required as this aligns with the main focus of the assignment. We feel that a volunteer who could be considered for this assignment could come from a number of backgrounds, but we would expect to see a qualification in education, e-learning, digital systems, IT, Communications or other associated field.
Application Instructions:
If this opportunity is of interest, please apply through the link below. If you have any questions about this assignment or the Univol programme as a whole you are more than welcome to check in with the Recruitment team via email at volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
Please note applications will be closing in early August 2026, so get any applications or queries in prior to that as the team will be assessing applications and queries as they arrive.
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.
Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) connects volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
We are New Zealand's largest and most experienced volunteering agency working in international development, placing over 100 volunteers each year. For the last twenty years the VSA has been operating our Univol programme, a volunteering programme with assignments specifically designed with recent graduates in mind. We are looking to deploy three volunteers in 2027 to work in the education sector in Papua New Guinea. Each of these assignments represents an amazing opportunity to get involved in developing capability to support the education sector to utilise and manage their digital resources. While the three Univol assignments in Papua New Guinea will be working across different education providers, they will all be based in and around Kokopo, East New Britain.
Our Partner and Assignment Summary:
For this assignment we have chosen to work with Sacred Heart International Catholic School (SHICS), under the Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, is a long-established Catholic educational institution located at Vunapope in Kokopo. The school serves students from Preschool to Secondary level and continues to play an important role in the educational, social, and spiritual development of the Kokopo community and the wider East New Britain Province. SHICS is committed to developing well-rounded, confident, and values-driven students through strong academic preparation, high standards, and a commitment to service. As a Catholic institution, the school promotes integrity, respect, community engagement, and holistic education grounded in the traditions of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
As digital technologies become increasingly important in education, SHICS has identified digital literacy and technology-supported learning as key priorities for the school’s continued growth and development. The school has already taken important steps in this area through the adoption of the Microsoft 365 Education platform and improved internet connectivity, creating greater opportunities to strengthen teaching and learning through digital tools, expand access to educational resources, and support improved learning outcomes across all year levels.
A volunteer deployed on this assignment would be working closely with the team at the SHICS, though mostly with teachers, library staff, ICT support staff, and students. All of the work would be built around supporting staff and students to use digital technologies more confidently within everyday teaching, learning, communication, and wider school activities. The team at SHICS are keen interested in getting support around the preparation and delivery of workshops, training sessions, and digital literacy activities, while also assisting with the development and organisation of digital learning materials, simple user guides, and online educational resources.There may also be opportunities to get involved with supporting the use of online learning platforms, classroom technologies, and digital library resources to improve access to teaching and learning materials and encourage the practical use of digital tools in classroom practice.
About Papua New Guinea:
The people of Papua New Guinea are renowned across the Pacific for their warmth and hospitality. Most of the population are Melanesian, but some are Micronesian or Polynesian. Papua New Guinea actually has over 800 known languages that are spoken in country, however there are three official languages: Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu. The country is also predominately Christian, with indigenous faith and spirituality still important to many locals.
As previously mentioned the three Univol assignments for Papua New Guinea would all be based in Kokopo, East New Britain. This is one of the main hubs that the VSA operates in and where we regularly have volunteers deployed to. The VSA also has a Programme Manager and Country Programme Advisor based in country to help support volunteers.
Skills we are seeking:
We believe that for a volunteer to succeed on this assignment they would need a number of key skills. One of the skillsets a volunteer would need for this assignment would be solid understanding of digital and technical systems, but also the confidence and capability to share this information. Unsurprisingly communication skills and the ability to collaborate with others and build connections effectively would also be of critical importance. Previous experience or a strong interest in training and education would also be required as this aligns with the main focus of the assignment. We feel that a volunteer who could be considered for this assignment could come from a number of backgrounds, but we would expect to see a qualification in education, e-learning, digital systems, IT, Communications or other associated field.
Application Instructions:
If this opportunity is of interest, please apply through the link below. If you have any questions about this assignment or the Univol programme as a whole you are more than welcome to check in with the Recruitment team via email at volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
Please note applications will be closing in early August 2026, so get any applications or queries in prior to that as the team will be assessing applications and queries as they arrive.
We are looking for a volunteer with:
- Jump into a new cultural experience volunteering in Papua New Guinea
- Become part of an international development programme built for graduates
- VSA covers costs associated with travel, accommodation and basic living costs
VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.
Does volunteering with one of the largest and most experienced agency in international development interest you?