Tutors / Assistants (Auckland & Waikato)
Make a real difference by helping us to share simple principles of practical philosophy and life tools that can help prisoners change their lives for the better.
The role of a Tutor or Assistant presenting the Society’s courses in a prison can be a scary idea. It is challenging, sometimes even a little frustrating in a constantly changing environment. However, many of our volunteers say it is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling roles we may play in our lives.
Our programme operates in Auckland Prison, Wiri Men's Prison, and is soon to commence in Mt Eden and Springhill Prison in Hampton Downs.
Join The Freedom Philosophy Society ($20pa) Although we welcome a background in practical philosophy or previous tutoring experience, this is not essential, (especially for the role of assistants), as we will provide training as required.
You need to be mature, calm, open-minded, and have a willingness to help & meet people where they are at. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. Flexibility is key in the prison environment.
Our model is usually 1 Tutor + 2 Assistants per group of 8-12 students - and we may run multiple groups in parallel. (Tutors will first take on a temporary role of Assistant to help prepare them for the role of Tutors.)
After you have reviewed our website please contact us if you would like to help. Please tell us why you are volunteering and provide your phone and email contact details.
A Ministry of Justice background check is required for this role.
The minimum commitment is usually 3-4 hours, once per week, on a weekday, for 6 weeks, plus a few hours training in advance.
However, hours can be flexible, to match the day and timing of the courses being run. We currently run 6 courses per year. Ongoing consistency helps both students and tutors, so while flexible, our preference is for volunteers who may be available to help us run several courses throughout the year.
Getting started:
The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below. We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.
Tutoring