The Student Welfare Outreach Team (SWOT) is a high school outreach program that aims to improve the educational outcomes of students attending high schools that experience disadvantage and that are under-represented at Victorian universities. At SWOT, we aim to emphasise the wellbeing and welfare of students during their stressful VCE period by equipping students with the essential skills needed for success.
SWOT began over 22 years ago, run initially by the University of Melbourne Medicine Student Society (UMMSS). Today, SWOT has grown immensely, providing academic and mentoring support to hundreds of students each year. Starting as only a one-week revision program, SWOT has now expanded its repertoire of sub-programmes to engage students from across Victoria, including those from regional communities.
SWOT has traditionally been very popular with high school students and volunteers alike. In 2019, SWOT was run by a team of 100 dedicated volunteer staff from a diverse range of faculties and universities across Victoria. Being entirely student-run and not-for-profit, SWOT has a clear aim of removing the limitations of educational disadvantage, with our volunteers deeply invested in the education and success of our students.