Get Out There: A Meaningful Adventure for School Leavers Looking for an alternative to the typical schoolies week? Get Out There takes Australian school leavers on a two-week adventure through Indonesia, combining travel, purpose, and genuine cultural connection.

In the News:

  • Soekarno-Hatta airport suspends flights due to ash from Anak Krakatau – The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, has caused the suspension of hundreds of flights at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday after some school activities and fishing were halted. [The Jakarta Post]
  • Indonesia battling wildfires as smoke haze spreads as far as the Philippines – For most of the year, Indonesia has been battling wildfires, which have intensified in recent weeks. The resulting haze has spread as far as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. [ABC News]
  • Why this El Niño is different from all the others – Climate scientists have been closely monitoring what is happening off Australia’s east coast over recent months and are increasingly concerned by what they are seeing. Pacific Ocean temperatures, a key driver of El Niño, are rising at an extraordinary pace and starting to enter uncharted territory. [ABC News]
  • Rescuers in Nepal pull two people alive from the debris 10 days after devastating floods – Rescuers in Nepal have pulled a Chinese national from a hydropower tunnel as efforts to save an estimated 900 people from the tunnel continue. In a separate event, a woman was rescued from a damaged house in Nuwakot, Nepal. [ABC News]
  • One Nation by-election win in Labor heartland is a clear warning to major parties across Australia – After a decade of dominance in Western Australia, Labor’s dramatic defeat in its heartland seat of Secret Harbour has prompted plenty of self-reflection. The loss to One Nation wasn’t a surprise. [ABC News]
  • Opt-out laws for social media algorithms to be introduced to parliament – Draft laws would create an opt-out system to turn off algorithms on social media platforms. The bill would also make social media companies responsible for minimising and preventing harm on their platforms. [ABC News]
  • Komnas HAM calls for police to probe food poisoning of more than 2,000 students – In separate cases across at least three major islands, more than 2,000 students and teachers fell ill after eating lunch issued by the government as part of a scheme to eradicate malnutrition launched by Prabowo last year. [The Jakarta Post]
  • Sahabat Literasi Dorong Minat Baca Siswa Sekolah Rakyat, 1 Novel Bisa Tuntas Sehari – Minat baca siswa Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Pertama (SRMP) 5 Solok meningkat seiring aktifnya perpustakaan dan berbagai kegiatan literasi di sekolah. Bahkan, sejumlah siswa mampu menuntaskan satu novel dalam sehari dan kembali meminjam buku lainnya. [Kompas]
  • AFLW wrap round four: Bulldogs defeat Swans, Kangaroos belt Saints – The Gold Coast Suns have won a low-scoring nail-biter over Port Adelaide in Adelaide. Western Bulldogs have secured a 27-point win over the previously unbeaten Sydney Swans. North Melbourne has extended its winning streak to 31 matches, hammering St Kilda. [ABC News]

Events:

  • AIYA ACT is excited to launch Languages Cafe, a new Indonesian language exchange initiative! Join fellow Indonesian language learners and native speakers for casual conversations in a welcoming space at KOPIKU, O’Connor ACT, with table groups and facilitators for all language levels. Click here for more information and join us on 11 September 2026!
  • AIYA Queensland is excited to invite you to Plant a Cooler, Greener Future: Community Tree Planting, a morning of environmental action, community volunteering, and new connections. Join us to plant 1,400 native seedlings, learn about local biodiversity, enjoy a free BBQ, and take home a native seedling @ Gladstone Road Reserve, Sadliers Crossing, Ipswich. Click here for more information and join us on 12 September 2026!
  • AIYA Yogyakarta invites you to From Whisper to Power, a public speaking workshop designed to help you refine your communication skills, strengthen your cross-cultural communication abilities, and speak with confidence in today’s global professional landscape. Join us at RIVEA Cafe and Co-Working Space on 12 September 2026. Click here for more information and registration!
  • AIYA Jawa Timur is teaming up with AFL Jakarta Bintangs to introduce you to Australian Football, a uniquely Australian sport combining speed, teamwork, and fun! Whether you’re a sports enthusiast or simply looking to try something new, no prior experience is needed. Join us @ Sekolah Alam Insan Mulia (SAIM) East 2, Surabaya on 18 September 2026. Click here for more information and registration!
  • ANU Indonesia Project – We are delighted to announce that registration is now open for the 43rd Indonesia Update, ‘Islamic diversity in Indonesia’, to be held on 18-19 September 2026 at The Australian National University. More Info here.
  • Mini Indonesia Update, Adelaide is coming up, presented by the Institute for International Trade at Adelaide University in partnership with the ANU Indonesia Project. Join speakers for a discussion on Islamic diversity, Indonesia’s economy, youth and public discourse, and trade and investment at Adelaide University. Click here for more information and join us on 21 September 2026!
  • AIYA ACT – Come and try playing Javanese Gamelan with AIYA ACT and ANUISA every Monday 6-8pm in Room 521 (behind the Recording Studio), Level 5 of the Llewellyn Hall at the ANU. For more information click here!
  • JOIN AIYA LANGUAGE EXCHANGE (IN-PERSON or ONLINE!) LX is back in multiple locations across Australia. Connect, chill, and converse with like-minded youth, meet new friends and engage in cross-cultural exchange. Make sure to follow your local chapter on Instagram for updates on the next LX event near you! VIC – every Wednesday at 6-7pm, Kathleen Syme Library–Activity Room 2; NSW – every Thursday at 6.30pm, Darling Square.
  • AIYA FLEX! – our online language exchange is open to anyone with any level of Indonesian and English! It is held monthly on Sunday at 3pm WIB/ 7pm AEDT. Join FLEX here.

Tune In:

  • Dalam Masyarakat Indonesia, Gotong Royong biasanya diartikan sebagai suatu kegiatan yang dilakukan bersama untuk kebaikan Bersama. Apakah nilai Gotong Royong ini masih tetap dijunjung tingi di bagian mana pun di negara Indonesia itu? Atau, apakah makna Gotong Royong mengalami pergeseran dalam masyarakat Indonesia modern, dan masihkah nilai ini dapat memperkuat kohesi sosial? Dalam podcast ini, Prof. Bagong Suyanto dari Universitas Airlangga dan Dr. Monika Winarnita dari University of Melbourne membahas perubahan makna Gotong Royong, termasuk pengaruh budaya kompetisi, tekanan sosial, dan pengucilan terhadap praktiknya saat ini. Dengarkan podcast selengkapnya di sini.
  • What happens to the centuries-old relationship between people and tigers as Sumatra’s forests continue to change? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Tito Ambyo speaks with Imam Ardhianto, Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Universitas Indonesia, about human-tiger relations in Sumatra, and how these relationships are shifting as forests are fragmented, human-wildlife encounters increase, and new generations develop different understandings of tigers. Listen to the full podcast here.

Opportunities:

AIYA is now in partnership: AIYA x Cinta Bahasa! 🎉🤝
All AIYA members can now enjoy 15% off Cinta Bahasa’s online or in-person Indonesian language classes! To register, simply log in to your AIYA membership dashboard > Resource Center > Cinta Bahasa.

  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is looking for several positions to fill with various closing dates. Click here for more information!
  • The Australian Volunteers Program matches skilled Australians with partner organisations across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa to support them to achieve their own development goals. If you’re interested in volunteering check-out a range of opportunities here!!
  • Indo Beyond Borders (IBB) is an Indonesian tutoring service, where language learning goes beyond the textbook. Join IBB and embark on an immersive learning experience that’s as dynamic and vibrant as Indonesia itself. Here to check more information
  • The Jakarta Bintangs is an Australian Football Club with membership open to anyone, beginners are most welcome. The club organizes games throughout the year, mostly in Jakarta, with occasional games across Indonesia and overseas. Tours are planned to Bali, Batam, Vietnam and Thailand this year. Training is mostly held at Lapangan Bola Aldiron in Jakarta on Saturday/ Sunday afternoons. On occasion, training sessions are also held Thursday nights in the GBK complex. To keep up to date with the training schedule follow them on Instagram @jakartabintangs. For more information click here.
  • The Australian Government is receiving applications for the Working Holiday Maker program that allows young adults to have a 12 month holiday, during which they can undertake short-term work and study. More info here
  • The Australian National University Indonesia Project is offering a number of grants and fellowships. Find out more about the opportunities such as Collaborative Research Grants, and Visiting Fellow Grants.
  • The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) helps grow Australia’s prosperity by delivering quality trade and investment services to businesses, accelerates growth in Australia’s tourism sector and promotes Australia’s education to the world. Find a list of available vacancies here.