Leaders in Communities Award (LiCA)

The Leaders in Communities Award (LiCA) recognises and rewards your volunteering, university participation, and professional development activities, both on and off campus.

LiCA provides a framework for you to record and reflect on your experiences and skills in a range of settings, enables you to become active and engaged in your local and global communities, and develop employability skills needed for 21st century workplaces.

By doing LiCA, you are participating in an incredible opportunity to develop skills, build networks and gain work experience through volunteering, co- and extra-curricular activities while studying at the University of Melbourne.

Once you’ve completed the Award, it will be listed on your University transcript and Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.

About the Award

The Leaders in Communities Award is designed to help you:

  • Volunteer in organisations and communities locally or globally
  • Participate actively in the University community
  • Develop your personal and professional skills

You can also include activities that you’ve undertaken in the 24 months prior to formally starting the Award (provided it is post secondary school). Volunteering, participation and professional development can be in person or on line.

Volunteer Ventures

Time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain. Volunteering Australia

Volunteer your time with one or more organisations for at least 40 hours over the course of your degree. Examples of volunteering include:

  • Being a digital visitor or telephone counsellor
  • Being a virtual volunteer grant writer
  • Officiating at sporting, arts or cultural events
  • Tutoring in an after-school program
  • Providing support at a charity event or activity
  • Participating in conservation group for the environment
  • Supporting an animal welfare group

Volunteer activities involving or inciting violence that harm society and actions that do not align with the values attributed to volunteering are not recognised for the Award.

Once you have completed your activities, log your hours online and write a 200-word reflective report to demonstrate your experiences, attributes and skills.

Uni Action

Participating in the Law Students’ Society helped me improve my communication skills, problem-solving ability, emotional intelligence and critical thinking. Natalie Gombos, Juris Doctor

Participate within the University community for at least 20 hours over the course of your degree. Examples of Uni Action include:

  • Being on the executive committee of a student club or organisation
  • Actively participating as a member of a student club or organisation
  • Being an Open Day Host, Orientation Host or Melbourne Peer Mentor
  • Participating in a student health initiative
  • Being an Academic Skills Student Partner

Once you have completed your activities, log your hours online and write a 200-word reflective report to demonstrate your experiences, attributes and skills.

Professional Development

Completing the award has allowed me to gain new insights into areas that interest me, learning more about opportunities I may pursue professionally and the skills I can take with me in the process. Chris Girardi, Bachelor of Arts

Attend four sessions over the course of your degree run by the University, your faculty or school, which help develop your personal, professional and leadership skills.

Examples of activities are:

  • Virtual or in-person workshops offered by Careers and Employability or Academic Skills
  • Online training and development designed to build your personal and professional skills
  • Leadership forums or workshops run by your faculty, school or department
  • Training sessions associated with your volunteer opportunity

Please note that training, development and workshops for your course or that build technical skills are not recognised.

Once you have completed your activities, log your hours online and write a 200-word reflective report to demonstrate your experiences, attributes and skills.

Get your LiCA

New LiCA registrations have now closed. If you are currently registered with LiCA, please continue to follow the steps below to receive your award.

Step 1: Record

Once you have completed each activity, you will need to log your hours. You will be asked to provide the contact details/references or verification documents so that we can verify your experience.

We prefer that you submit all your hours for the same organisation in one record form at the end of your volunteering.

Ensure you are enrolled in the LiCA Canvas Community for important information on LiCA requirements and opportunities.

Step 2: Reflect

Once you’ve completed each section, you will be asked a range of questions to help you reflect on your experiences and describe what you gained from them.

This is an important part of your learning and demonstrates that you can articulate the skills and knowledge you've developed. This can also form the basis of a portfolio of activities you can use in your resume, LinkedIn profile, or job applications.

Step 3: Gain your award

Once you’ve completed all the sections by the last day of exams in your final semester (for registered EPH students, you will need to complete this by the first day of your exam period), your finished Leaders in Communities Award will be recognised on your academic transcript and Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) and you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

The Leaders in Communities Award program gave me the motivation I needed to get involved at uni.Pearl Chen

Workshops and support

There is a range of resources in the LiCA Canvas Community and sessions/workshops within Student Services to support you with completing your LiCA award.

See resources on finding opportunities to count towards:

For more about the Award or to ask further questions not covered in the FAQs, please contact leaders-award@unimelb.edu.au

Frequently asked questions

  • How long do I have to complete the Award?

    You must complete the Award by 20 June 2022, regardless of when you are due to graduate. In order to have the Award recognised on your transcript, you will need to complete all hours and reflective reports for all three components by this date.

    If you are unable to complete your Award by this date, it will not appear on your transcript. However, you may be eligible to get a digital credential in recognition of your co-curricular participation through Melbourne Plus. If you would like to check your eligibility, please submit this brief survey and a team member will be in touch: https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cVnfgMWndbLOJQq

    If you choose not to continue with these options, you will still gain valuable experience and skills from the activities you have undertaken.

  • When will the Award be recognised?

    The Leaders in Communities Award will be recognised on your transcript, AHEGS, and in a formal Certificate of Completion and Letter of Reference after 20 June 2022. You will need to complete all hours and reflective reports for all three components by this date to ensure it is recorded.

  • What options do I have to get recognition through Melbourne Plus?

    If you’re not sure whether you will be able to complete your LiCA in time, don’t worry! You may be eligible to get recognition of your co-curricular participation through Melbourne Plus.

    While successful completion of LiCA is recognised on your transcript, participation in Melbourne Plus will instead be recognised through a shareable digital credential.

    If you would like to check your eligibility for Melbourne Plus, please submit this brief survey and a team member will be in touch: https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cVnfgMWndbLOJQq

    In the meantime, continue to strive for your LiCA award!

  • What is the reflective report?

    After each component, you will complete a 200 word reflective report. The report is an opportunity to reflect on what you have gained from your experiences, the contribution you have made and the skills you have developed; this is good preparation for talking about your skills and experience in a job interview. The Developing my skills section of the Careers website can assist you with considering your skills, or attend a Student Connect appointment for support with completing your reflective report.

  • Can I use online or virtual activities?

    You can use eligible online activities to complete the requirements of any of the components. For example, being a Peer Mentor for students studying remotely, a virtual volunteer doing Skype chats with the elderly, or attending a Careers & Employment or Academic Skills Webinar.

  • How can I show evidence of my virtual volunteering activities if there isn't a contact person?

    For opportunities that do not have contact co-ordinators to verify your volunteering participation, be sure to log your hours and take a screenshot of your progress log, timestamps, or ‘Work Report’. Email us at leaders-award@unimelb.edu.au if you need to track and verify your contribution in another way.

  • What is the difference between Uni Action and Volunteer Ventures?

    Volunteer Ventures is about contributing to the wider (non-University) community. Uni Action is about getting involved with your University community; this might be through extra-curricular activities or by volunteering on campus.

  • I've already been volunteering does this count?

    You can submit activities you’ve undertaken in the 24 months prior to registering for the award, for any of the three components, providing they are post-secondary school.

  • Do I have to complete the three components of the Award in order?

    There is no order in which you are required to complete the Award. You can complete the three components of the Award simultaneously or one after another.

  • How do I find opportunities?

    You can find opportunities through the Careers Online website, notices in my.unimelb, your faculty newsletter or through one of the many student clubs and societies on campus. The LiCA Canvas Community and Volunteering page of the Careers website has some helpful information about how to find opportunities.

  • Where do I log my LiCA activities?

    Log your LiCA in Careers Online. You can find ‘Leaders in Communities Award’ in the Careers Online dashboard or bookmark  this link.

  • How do I contact the LiCA team to find out more?

    You can contact us at Leaders-Award@unimelb.edu.au.

More information