About the SAIL program

Juba Arabic version here

The SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning) Program is a volunteer-run, non-profit, secular organization which provides a variety of free services to Melbourne's Sudanese community.

The bulk of the activities operated by the SAIL Program run every Saturday morning, mid February until late December. SAIL offers tutoring to approximately 450 members of the Sudanese community and has a volunteer staff of about 300 people including over 270 tutors. There are six mini-programs which fit under the SAIL Program banner. Each mini-program has its own resources and volunteer staff.

SAIL which provides free English as a Second Language tutoring for Sudanese children, and teenagers that runs on Saturday morning at all campuses.

SAIL Senior, a similar program run for the Sudanese adults, also runs on Saturday morning at all campuses. SAIL Senior is for the adult members of the Sudanese community. SAIL Senior at the same time as SAIL Junior and the SAIL Program tutoring. It offers small-group tutoring in the hope that students will support one another in their first language. The aim of SAIL Senior is to provide the adults with contacts to improve their English language skills and to enable them to consolidate their children's learning at home.

SAIL Junior, provides the under 6 year olds with the opportunity to learn socialisation skills in an English speaking environment. SAIL Junior also provides the SAIL Senior participants with some quiet time to concentrate on learning English.

SAIL Xtend provides extra-curricular short courses for school-aged SAIL participants on a rotating basis on Saturday afternoons at the Braybrook and Footscray campuses only. SAIL Xtend comprises of various activities that are part of the Integrated Learning at the Program (in addition to SAIL About: see below). SAIL Xtend starts after a short lunch break on Saturdays and lasts for one hour. In 2006, SAIL Xtend offered extra curricula short courses in dance, soccer, painting, tennis, cooking, AFL, athletics and krumping.

Home Help engages experienced female SAIL volunteers to help settling single Sudanese mothers in the home. Home Help offers weekday home visits for 3 hours to approximately five SAIL fmailies. All volunteers must be female and must undergo a trial period at a SAIL campus first.

SAIL About which offers free camps and excursions to members of the Sudanese community. In 2007, SAIL Students saw Circus Oz, Australian Open Tennis, Wind in the Willows in the Botanical Gardens, various films, the beach and productions. All excursions are followed up with worksheets and discussions to consolidate the integrated learning from the excursion.

Camps occur three or more times each year to various parts of rural and regional Australia. SailAway, in partnership with Lord Somers Camp and Powerhouse, is the feature camp of the year, involving more than 65 SAILors for a weekend at Somers on the Mornington Peninsula. SAIL also runs a family tree planting camp and hiking camp each year.

Every Saturday all SAIL participants are provided with a free, fresh and healthy lunch and a pick-up and drop-off service.

Community and Tutor Talks occur every five weeks. A range of professionals speak at tutor in-services offering skill-renewal opportunities. For the Sudanese community, SAIL offers Community Talks designed to inform the community about issues pertinent to them including housing, health, migration, tracing lost family members and job-hunting.

When and Where

SAIL Junior, Primary, Secondary and Senior - 11am - 12.30pm at all campuses except Footscray & Braybrook

10.30am - 12pm in Footscray and Braybrook only

SAIL Xtend 12:45 - 1:30pm Footscray & Braybrook
SAIL Xtend 1:00-2:00pm Dandenong Robinson, Dandenong Langhorne and Seven Hills (Sydney)

Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program
SAIL Altona
Community Hall
Corner Bent and Queen Streets
Altona, 3018
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Altona map

SAIL Braybrook
Community Hall
67 Darnley Street
Braybrook, 3019
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Braybrook map

SAIL Dandenong Langhorne
Community Hall
Corner Langhorne and Wilson Streets
Dandenong, 3175
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Dandenong Langhorne map

SAIL Dandenong Robinson
Community Hall
Corner Robinson and Scott Streets
Dandenong, 3175
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Dandenong Robinson map

SAIL Footscray
Maidstone Community Centre
Corner of Yardley and Gibb Streets
Maidstone, 3012
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Footscray map

SAIL Glengala
Community Centre
Corner Watt and Corio Sts,
Sunshine, 3020
Victoria, Australia
SAIL Glengala map

SAIL Seven Hills
Seven Hills Community Centre
Artillery Crescent
Seven Hills, 2147
New South Wales, Australia
SAIL Seven Hills map

Phone: +61 3 9679 3272 - Mary (business hours only)

Our preferred method of communication is email

Co-ordinators:
Nik Tan (Overseeing Coordinator)
Freya Carbone (Western Melbourne Coordinator)
Jasmine Morrissey (Altona Coordinator)
Gemma O'Brien (Braybrook Coordinator)
Jess Rimington (Footscray Coordinator)
Jo Nicholson (Glengala Coordinator)
Kirstyn Campbell (Dandenong Langhorne Coordinator)
Aidan Stephenson (Dandenong Robinson Coordinator)
Sophie Ross (SAIL Blacktown Coordinator)
Ian Meadows (Seven Hills Coordinator)
Naomi Farnan (SAIL Perth Coordinator)

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