MONASH TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL
Aiming to reduce white coat anxiety in children
About Us
WHO ARE WE?
The Monash Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to alleviate ‘white coat anxiety’ – the fear of going to the doctor or hospital that many young children may have. Coordinated by Monash medical students, we run incursions that target primary school students from Prep to Year 2.
During these incursions, stations are set up in the classroom that simulate real-life hospital or GP experiences that the young children may encounter, providing them an opportunity to engage with our enthusiastic Teddy Bear doctors (student volunteers) in a fun and educational way. Some examples include asthma, X-ray, allergy, emergency and many more interactive stations.
To make the experience even more memorable for our children, the Teddy Bear Hospital incorporates a resident “Big Ted” - a volunteer dressed in a teddy bear costume tasked with the role of handing out high fives and getting down to boogie with all the children involved.
We sincerely hope through these fun and interactive means that Teddy Bear Hospital visits can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all primary school students and student volunteers involved, while we continue to pursue our mission of reducing white-coat anxiety!
Through our visits, we aim to help young children learn and foster healthy habits at a young age such as healthy eating, hygiene and more. Due to the fun and engaging manner in which we carry out these activities with our team of passionate student volunteers, it is our hope that the children will be able to appreciate these benefits outside of our incursion and begin implementing them in their daily lives.
Moreover, we hope that by simulating a stress-free and light-hearted environment, the children are able to associate this with visiting the doctors and thus will feel more comfortable and less fearful during future doctor visits.
Hilary Zhu
co-CHAIR
Hi! Direct your email to me if you have an urgent enquiry.
Our Team for 2024
Samantha Yee
co-chair
Hi! Direct your email to me if you have an urgent enquiry.
Lizze Hoye
SEcretary
Hi! Direct your email to me if you have a general enquiry or general feedback.
meg roff
Treasurer
Hi! I mainly organise the internal financial logistics of our Teddy Bear Hospital.
jason fan
promotions and It Officer
Hi! I mainly organise the internal promotions and IT logistics of our Teddy Bear Hospital.
Sponsorship & Fundraising Officer
Hi! Direct your email to me and my co-sponsorship/fundraising officer if you are interested in sponsoring or have a fundraising-related opportunity for the Teddy Bear Hospital.
Nandini Karthikeyan
Sponsorship & Fundraising Officer
Hi! Direct your email to me and my co-sponsorship/fundraising officer if you are interested in sponsoring or have a fundraising-related opportunity for the Teddy Bear Hospital.
Archie musafir
hugo vu
Community Liaison Officer
Hi! Direct your email to me and my co-community liaison officer if you would like Teddy Bear Hospital to be involved in your community/local council event.
Alex Atcheson
Central Events Coordinator
Hi! If you are a metropolitan primary school, and would like Teddy Bear Hospital to visit your primary school, please direct your email to me and my co-central events coordinator.
Jess Ng LE
Central Events Coordinator
Hi! If you are a metropolitan primary school, and would like Teddy Bear Hospital to visit your primary school, please direct your email to me and my co-central events coordinator.
Rural Events team Coordinator
Hi! If you are a rural or regional school or organisation interester in a Teddy Bear Hospital visit or have general enquiries, please direct your email to me.
Natania D’Sa
Sylvie sherborne
Community Liaison Officer
Hi! Direct your email to me and my co-community liaison officer if you would like Teddy Bear Hospital to be involved in your community/local council event.
gina wise
Central Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the central events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
riyan prasada
Year A Representative (Rural Events Coordinator)
Hi! If you are a primary school located in the Gippsland region, and would like Teddy Bear Hospital to visit your primary school, please direct your email to me.
Year 1 Representative (Central Events Team Member)
Hi! Along with the central events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
paida ndoro
alicia leong
Central Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the central events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
angelica haskins
Central Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the central events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
Central Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the central events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
lisa wang
rural Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the rural events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
andrew dyachkov
rural Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the rural events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
Amrita saha
Sarah feltrin
rural Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the rural events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
Leonie lac
rural Events Team Member
Hi! Along with the rural events coordinators, I work 1-on-1 with the primary schools to organise their incursions.
Martin nguyen-khoa
allied health representative
Hi! I work to promote greater footprint and engagement of Teddy Bear Hospital amongst Monash Allied Health students!
Metropolitan Events
How do I involve my primary school with Teddy Bear Hospital?
- Thank you so much for showing your interest in having Teddy Bear Hospital at your primary school. We would be honoured to have Big Ted visit, and have a bear-y good time with your students!
- For the most up-to-date information, always email monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com, and direct your email to the current central events coordinators.
What year levels do we visit?
We primarily visit prep, grade 1 and grade 2 students. Please provide the number of prep, grade 1 and grade 2 students at your school in your introductory email.
Find out more in our FAQ section about the logistics of our program.
- In late-February to early-March of each year, the Central Events Coordinators will create a list of schools to visit for the year.
- It is highly recommended that you email during this time to increase your chances of securing a Teddy Bear Hospital incursion. By April, our school spots for the year are generally filled.
- The Monash University Teddy Bear Hospital, with aims of improving health literacy prioritises visiting schools that are
- Located in a low SES area
- Able to demonstrate a continued commitment to having Teddy Bear Hospital visit bi-annually (every 2 years)
- Able to demonstrate responsive communication to emails and calls from Teddy Bear Hospital event organisers.
- Are in a close proximity to Monash University Clayton.
None of these are absolute criteria to the Teddy Bear Hospital selecting your school to visit. Please email to monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com to express your interest regardless.
How does the Teddy Bear Hospital School Selection Process work?
2023 ConfIRED SCHOOLS | |
SEMESTER 1 SCHOOLS | SEMESTER 2 SCHOOLS |
Brandon Park Primary School Clayton North Primary School Dandenong South Primary School Essex Heights Primary School Park Ridge Primary School | Brandon Park Primary School Clayton North Primary School Dandenong South Primary School Essex Heights Primary School Park Ridge Primary School |
Rural Events
- Thank you so much for showing your interest in having Teddy Bear Hospital at your primary school. We would be honoured to have Big Ted visit, and have a bear-y good time with your students!
- For the most up-to-date information, always email monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com, and direct your email to the respective regional (Mildura, Gippsland, Bendigo) Events Coordinators.
How do I involve my primary school with Teddy Bear Hospital?
What year levels do we visit?
We primarily visit prep, grade 1 and grade 2 students. Please provide the number of prep, grade 1 and grade 2 students at your school in your introductory email.
Find out more in our FAQ section about the logistics of our program.
- In late-February to early-March of semester 1, the rural events coordinators will create a list of schools to visit for semester 1.
- In late-May to early-June, the rural events coordinators will create a list of schools to visit for semester 2.
- It is highly recommended that you email during this time to increase your chances of securing a Teddy Bear Hospital incursion.
- Find out more in our FAQ section about the logistics of our program.
How does the Teddy Bear Hospital School Selection Process work?
2023 COnFIRMED SCHOOLS | |
SEMESTER 1 SCHOOLS | SEMESTER 2 SCHOOLS |
Mildura Mildura West Primary School Red Cliffs Primary School Gippsland Morwell Primary School St Thomas Foundation Araluen Primary School Bendigo Eaglehawk Primary School Camp Hill Primary School | Mildura St Marys Primary School P-12 Robinvale Gippsland Boolara Primary School Bairnsdale Primary School Trafalgar Primary School Lucknow Primary school Darnum Primary School Bendigo Bendigo Violet Primary School St Theresa’s Primary School |
Community Events
The Monash University Teddy Bear Hospital runs events at local community, local council events, and is actively involved with visiting the Monash Children Hospital.
How do I involve community events with Teddy Bear Hospital?
- Thank you so much for showing your interest in having Teddy Bear Hospital at your event. We would be honoured to have Big Ted visit, and have a bear-y good time at your event!
- For the most up-to-date information, always email monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com, and direct your email to the respective community liaison officers.
The Biggest Playdate
The biggest Playdate
The Biggest Playdate is an initiative by Monash Children’s Hospital to create awareness and raise funds for the Monash Children Hospital through a fun-filled carnival day for families.
Teddy Bear Hospital has partnered with the Miranda Foundation for The Biggest Playdate, running a pop-up stall at Aspendale Gardens Community Centre to raise money for the Monash Childrens Cancer Centre. The Miranda Foundation’s philosophy is that we are “in it together”, and 100% of all proceeds go directly to MCH, without admin and overhead costs being deducted. Teddy Bear Hospital is proud to support an incredible foundation and such a great cause.
Sudanese Saturday School
SUDANESE SATURDAY SCHOOL
The Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning (SAIL) Program is a completely volunteer-run, non-profit, secular organisation which provides free tutoring and educational support to the Sudanese Australian community.
Teddy Bear Hospital is an avid supporter of the SAIL program, and hosts an incursion at the Box Hill Saturday School every year. We believe health education is important for children to be exposed to in their formative years, as it can help form a strong foundation for healthy habits later in life.
Walk for Monash Children's Hospital
WALK FOR MCH
The Walk for Monash Children’s Hospital annual event supports sick kids treated at Monash Children’s hospital by raising funds to purchase life-saving medical equipment.
We are proud to support MCH every year with our pop-up stalls at the event, where children and their teddies can experience fun-filled stations! Our student volunteers also participate and assist in running the Walk event.
Stations
Volunteer Qualifications
- All volunteers with the Monash University Teddy Bear Hospital are working with childrens check certified and have a valid police check.
- All volunteers also attend mandatory annual training nights, with pre-event refreshers of volunteering expectations and responsibilities communicated by our event coordinators and team members.
2024 Update: New Feelings station
Monash Teddy Bear Hospital is announcing the introduction of a new ‘Feelings Station’ effective in 2024.
The Feelings Station will expose primary school students to the non-physical aspects of healthcare and encourage children to positively navigate simple and complex emotions.
We are redefining the ways we think about health - it is more than just broken bones!
Volunteer Hub
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER, THE MAIN AVENUE OF COMMUNICATIONS IS VIA LIKING AND FOLLOWING OUR MONASH UNIVERSITY TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL FACEBOOK PAGE AND INSTAGRAM PAGES.
How do I volunteer with the Teddy Bear Hospital?
Teddy Bear Hospital’s school incursions and presence at community events would not be possible if it were not for our very special ‘Teddy Bear Doctor’ volunteers. We appreciate the generosity and support of all our volunteers, and hope our programs give them as much joy as they bring to the children.
We recruit our student volunteers near the start of the academic year (Feb/March).
All volunteers must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Current Monash University student undertaking ANY degree from either the
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences,
- OR the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical sciences,
- OR the Faculty of Sciences
- Have a valid Police Check
- Have a valid Victorian Working With Children Check (if you are ≥18 years old)
Volunteer Logistics
We require all our volunteers to attend our annual Training Night that is held in late March.
This training night ensures that our volunteers are prepared for our events and the children they will be communicating with. Full attendance at the Training Night is compulsory, and unfortunately, those unable to meet this requirement will not be able to volunteer at any of our events for that year.
All volunteers aged ≥18 years require a valid (volunteer or employee) Victorian Working With Children Check. Volunteers <18 years old do not require a WCC.
If you need to apply for a WCCC, you may use the following details:
Organisation: Monash Student Association
Address: c/o Clubs & Societies, 21 Chancellors Walk, Monash University, VIC 3800
Contact Number: 03 9905 4160
Type of Work: 52 Educational – other institutions providing children’s study or training programs.
Volunteer Sign Ups
Completion of the annual Training Night means you are eligible to volunteer with us. The next step is to sign-up for our school incursion and/or community events.
Throughout the year, we post sign-up forms for TBH events through emailing lists, social media (Facebook page, Instagram) and website. We highly recommend liking/following the related Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as keeping an eye out on your emails. (Note: Your email is supplied when you attend our TBH Training Night).
Each school incursion event requires approximately 20 volunteers. In certain instances, there may be drop-outs, and thus it is extremely helpful to keep an eye out for emails asking for replacement volunteers.
Volunteer FAQs
Can I sign up to volunteer at multiple events
Can you provide me with a certificate for volunteering?
I can’t make it to an event, what should I do?
Please send us an email via monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com as soon as possible. Please note, that if you are unable to attend the original event you are allocated to, you will be moved to the bottom of the waiting list to ensure equity to all other volunteers on the waiting list.
- When the initial volunteer sign up form comes up, we recommend listing yourself available for as many events as possible. This will increase your chances of getting allocated an event, and even possibly, multiple events.
- We also recommend you keep an eye out on your emails as this will help your chances of volunteering as a replacement volunteer should there be any drop outs
- Certificates for volunteering are distributed at the end of the year. If you are seeking a volunteer certificate from a past year, please email us!
I’m a student currently studying psychology/science/health science. Can I still volunteer?
- Yes! We accept students from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Faculty of Sciences.
- If you are unsure about your volunteering eligibility, please send us an email!
General FAQs
WHAT AGES DOES THIS PROGRAM TARGET?
Our incursion stations are designed for Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students. We are able to modify our stations to cater to preschoolers, if needed.
WHAT WILL MY SCHOOL NEED TO PROVIDE?
We will require a large classroom or hall to run our program. One of our activities (plastering) will require access to a sink.
The school may be required to print-out copies of colouring sheets for one of our stations – we will email these to you before the event. Please ensure these are printed out before the session if they are emailed to you.
Please ask the children to bring their own teddies on the day.
HOW MANY STUDENTS CAN BE ACCOMMODATED PER INCURSION?
Each incursion session can accommodate approximately 40-60 children. Typically, we may run two sessions in one day to accommodate for more children if needed. We are also able to run sessions on consecutive days too if needed.
The class will be divided into 8 groups, consisting of 5-7 children per group. Each group will be supervised by 2-3 teddy doctor volunteers.
WHO ARE THE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS?
The ‘teddy doctor’ volunteers consist of current Monash University medical students, many of whom have an interest in paediatrics. All our student volunteers have attended our annual Training Night, have valid Police Checks and Working With Children Checks
HOW MUCH WOULD THIS PROGRAM COST MY SCHOOL?
We are a non-profit organisation, therefore this program is ran completely free of charge.
HOW DO I GET TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL TO COME TO MY SCHOOL?
Please send us an email via monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com.
In your request, please let us know the number of children hoping to participate in our program and a rough date for when you would like us to visit your school.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us at monashteddybearhospital@gmail.com
We recommend taking a look at the “about us” page so that you can address your email to the person who is most likely able to help you.