QUT Big Lift Information

QUT Big Lift is a not-for-profit student-run organisation that aims to bridge the divide between urban and regional communities in Queensland. Through enacting meaningful, needs-based volunteer projects throughout the year Big Lift aims to educate university students about the social, cultural and economic factors influencing rural life. Big Lift pays particular focus to respectful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; particularly when volunteering in Indigenous communities. Big Lift partners with local community organisations in active support of Indigenous-led efforts for equality and self-determination. The Big Lift executive team is comprised entirely of students and the volunteer projects are designed through fostering long-term relationships with community members. In July and November of each year, the biannual QUT Big Lift Road Trip takes place where forty university students travel throughout regional Queensland for a week and volunteer in service projects that address community needs. A service-learning pedagogy underpins all Big Lift operations and students who participate in Big Lift trips develop interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, social responsibility and a desire to instigate positive social change.