Explore how governments, international organisations and NGOs improve human wellbeing in Australia and around the world. This 75–90 minute lesson for 15-year-old learners includes case studies, organisation-sorting activities, disaster relief scenarios and a wellbeing initiative project with budgeting and success measures.

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Mission: Wellbeing — How Governments and NGOs Improve Lives

Materials Needed

Paper or digital document for notes
World map or online map
Calculator
Coloured pens or highlighters
Access to reliable websites, such as:
Optional: tokens, coins, or small pieces of paper to represent a project budget

Lesson Overview

Learner: Heidi, age 15

Suggested duration: 75–90 minutes, with optional extension activities

Big question: How do governments and non-government organisations work together to improve human wellbeing in Australia and other countries?

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, Heidi will be able to:

Define human wellbeing and identify at least four of its dimensions, such as health, education, safety, income, equality, housing, and environmental quality.
Explain the different roles of national governments, international organisations, and non-government organisations, or NGOs.
Compare at least two initiatives that improve wellbeing in Australia or another country.
Analyse how an organisation’s actions can create positive changes as well as possible challenges.
Design and justify a realistic wellbeing initiative using evidence and clear success measures.

Success Criteria

Heidi will be successful if she can:

Accurately use the terms government, international organisation, NGO, initiative, and human wellbeing.
Clearly describe who is responsible for an initiative, what problem it addresses, and who benefits.
Use at least two specific examples from Australia or other countries.
Explain why cooperation between organisations may be useful.
Suggest a practical initiative with a target group, action, budget or resources, and a way to measure success.

Introduction: Hook and Objectives — “You Are the Decision-Maker”

Time: 10 minutes

Hook Scenario

Tell Heidi:

A cyclone has damaged homes, schools, hospitals, and water supplies in a coastal community. Some people need emergency shelter immediately, while others need long-term support to rebuild. You have limited money and must decide which organisations should help and what they should do first.

Ask Heidi:

Who should respond: the national government, another country, the United Nations, an NGO, local volunteers, or all of them?
What would people need first?
How would you know whether the response improved people’s wellbeing?

Invite Heidi to make a quick prediction. Explain that the lesson will investigate how different organisations work individually and together to improve people’s lives.

Quick Wellbeing Brainstorm

Ask Heidi to write the word wellbeing in the centre of a page and create a mind map. Encourage her to include:

Physical and mental health
Education and skills
Safety and human rights
Income and employment
Housing, food, and clean water
Relationships and community connection
A healthy environment

Transition: “Now that we have identified what wellbeing means, let’s examine who has the power and responsibility to improve it.”

Body Part 1: Understanding the Main Organisations — I Do

Time: 15 minutes

Teacher or Adult Explanation

Explain that wellbeing is not only about money or physical health. It includes whether people can live safely, access education and healthcare, participate in society, and have opportunities for a healthy and meaningful life.

1. National Governments

National governments create laws, collect taxes, provide services, and make policies. In Australia, governments may support wellbeing through:

Medicare and public health services
Public schools and education funding
Centrelink and other social support programs
Disaster response and emergency services
Housing, transport, environmental, and employment policies
Foreign aid and international development programs managed through agencies such as Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

2. International Organisations

International organisations work across national borders. Examples include:

World Health Organization: Supports countries with health information, disease prevention, and emergency responses.
UNICEF: Works to protect children’s rights and improve access to health, education, nutrition, and clean water.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Supports people forced to leave their homes because of conflict or persecution.
International Committee of the Red Cross: Provides humanitarian assistance and protection during conflict and other crises.

3. Non-Government Organisations

NGOs are independent organisations that are not part of government. They may be local, national, or international. They often receive funding from donations, grants, or partnerships.

Examples include:

Oxfam: Works on poverty, inequality, emergencies, and community development.
Australian Red Cross: Supports people during disasters and other difficult situations.
World Vision: Supports development and child wellbeing programs in different countries.
Local community organisations: May provide food relief, mental health support, housing assistance, or activities for young people.

Key Idea

No single organisation can solve every wellbeing problem. Governments may have laws, funding, and large public systems. NGOs may have specialist knowledge, volunteers, and strong connections with local communities. International organisations can coordinate action across countries and respond to global problems.

Vocabulary Check

Ask Heidi to explain these terms in her own words:

Initiative: A planned action or program designed to achieve a goal.
Human wellbeing: The quality of people’s lives, including their health, safety, opportunities, relationships, and living conditions.
Government organisation: A public body that makes decisions, laws, or services on behalf of a country or community.
NGO: An independent, not-for-profit organisation that works on social, environmental, humanitarian, or development issues.

Body Part 2: Organisation Sorting Challenge — We Do

Time: 15 minutes

Read the following examples together. Heidi should identify whether each example is mainly led by a national government, international organisation, NGO, or a partnership.

Funding public hospitals and schools in Australia
Providing emergency shelter after an earthquake in another country
Coordinating international advice during a disease outbreak
Running a local food bank for families experiencing hardship
Supporting children in refugee camps with education and clean water
Providing disaster recovery grants after an Australian flood

For each example, ask:

What problem is being addressed?
Who might benefit?
What resources would be needed?
Why might more than one organisation be involved?

Formative Assessment: “One-Minute Explain”

Ask Heidi to complete this sentence aloud or in writing:

“Governments, international organisations, and NGOs are different because…, but they may work together when…”

Provide feedback by checking whether Heidi explains both the differences and the reasons for cooperation.

Body Part 3: Case Study Investigation — We Do and You Do

Time: 20 minutes

Choose two or three case studies. Heidi may select the examples that interest her most.

Case Study A: Improving Health in Australia

Australia’s public health system includes government-funded services such as Medicare, public hospitals, vaccination programs, and health education. NGOs and community groups may provide extra support for people experiencing homelessness, disability, family violence, mental health challenges, or financial hardship.

Case Study B: Disaster Relief in the Asia-Pacific Region

After a cyclone, flood, earthquake, or volcanic eruption, the affected government may coordinate the official response. Other governments may provide funding or emergency teams. NGOs and organisations such as the Red Cross may distribute food, water, shelter materials, and medical supplies.

Case Study C: Children’s Education and Health

UNICEF works with governments and local partners in many countries to support children’s rights, health, education, nutrition, and access to clean water. Projects may include school support, vaccination programs, sanitation facilities, and child protection services.

Case Study D: Refugee and Displaced-Person Support

When people are forced to leave their homes, international organisations, governments, and NGOs may provide shelter, food, healthcare, education, legal assistance, and protection. Long-term wellbeing may also depend on safety, employment, family reunification, and access to permanent housing.

Case Study Analysis Table

Heidi should complete the following table for at least two case studies:

Question	Case Study 1	Case Study 2
What wellbeing problem is being addressed?
Which organisation or organisations are involved?
What action or initiative is taking place?
Which dimensions of wellbeing could improve?
What evidence would show that the initiative is working?
What challenge or unintended problem might occur?

Think-Pair-Share Alternative

If another learner is available, Heidi can discuss her answers with them. If she is working independently, she can record a short audio explanation or explain her ideas to an adult.

Transition: “You have now investigated real-world examples. Next, you will become the organisation responsible for designing a new wellbeing initiative.”

Body Part 4: Wellbeing Summit Simulation — You Do

Time: 25 minutes

Challenge

Heidi is the director of a new organisation called Wellbeing Worldwide. She has been given a fictional budget of $100,000 to improve one community’s wellbeing.

She must choose one focus area:

Clean water and sanitation
Education access
Mental health support for teenagers
Emergency relief after a natural disaster
Food security and nutrition
Support for refugees or displaced people
Climate resilience and environmental health

Planning Steps

Choose a location: Australia or another country.
Identify the problem: Describe the wellbeing issue and who is affected.
Choose partners: Select at least two from a national government, another government, an international organisation, an NGO, a local community group, or volunteers.
Design the initiative: Explain what will happen, where it will happen, and how long it will take.
Allocate the budget: Decide how the $100,000 will be spent.
Plan for fairness: Explain how local people will be consulted and included in decisions.
Measure success: Choose at least three indicators.

Possible Success Measures

Number of people receiving a service
Improved school attendance
Reduced illness or injury
Number of homes receiving clean water
Number of people trained in emergency preparation
Changes in surveys about safety, health, or belonging
Participation of local residents in planning and decision-making

Suggested Budget Categories

Materials and equipment
Staff and specialist workers
Transport and delivery
Training and education
Communication and community consultation
Monitoring and evaluation
Emergency reserve

Presentation Choice

Heidi may present her initiative in one of the following ways:

A two-minute spoken pitch
A one-page project proposal
A short slide presentation
A labelled concept map
A recorded video or audio presentation

Project Proposal Template

Project name:
Location:
Wellbeing problem:
Target group:
Organisations involved:
Main actions:
Budget plan:
How local people will be included:
Three success measures:
One possible challenge and response:

Assessment

Formative Assessment During the Lesson

Mind map of the dimensions of human wellbeing
Organisation sorting challenge
Vocabulary explanations
Case study analysis table
Questions during the wellbeing summit planning task

Summative Assessment: Wellbeing Initiative Pitch

Assess Heidi’s final proposal using the following rubric:

Criteria	Excellent	Developing	Beginning
Understanding of wellbeing	Explains the problem and several relevant dimensions of wellbeing clearly.	Identifies the problem and at least one relevant wellbeing dimension.	Gives a limited or unclear explanation of the problem.
Understanding of organisations	Accurately explains the roles of at least two types of organisations and why they should cooperate.	Identifies organisations but gives limited explanation of their roles.	Names an organisation without explaining its role.
Practicality of initiative	Provides realistic actions, partners, budget choices, and a target group.	Provides some realistic actions but lacks detail in one area.	Provides an idea that is difficult to understand or apply.
Evidence of success	Includes three clear and measurable success indicators.	Includes one or two partly measurable indicators.	Does not explain how success would be measured.
Communication	Ideas are organised, convincing, and supported with relevant examples.	Ideas are understandable but may lack organisation or evidence.	Ideas are incomplete or difficult to follow.

Differentiation and Adaptations

Support for Learners Who Need Scaffolding

Provide a word bank containing: government, NGO, partnership, wellbeing, initiative, equity, emergency, development, indicator.
Allow Heidi to complete one case study instead of two before beginning the design task.
Use sentence starters:
- “This initiative improves wellbeing by…”
- “The government’s role would be…”
- “The NGO could contribute…”
- “Success could be measured by…”
Allow an oral response instead of a written proposal.
Work through one sample project together before Heidi designs her own.

Extension for Advanced Learners

Research a current initiative and identify its funding sources, target group, and evidence of impact.
Compare short-term emergency relief with long-term development.
Investigate whether an initiative improves equality as well as average wellbeing.
Analyse a possible criticism, such as dependence on aid, lack of local consultation, unequal access, or inefficient use of funding.
Write a recommendation explaining how the initiative could be improved.

Format Adaptations

Homeschool: Use a household “summit” with a parent or record the pitch independently.
Classroom: Assign roles such as government minister, NGO director, community representative, and international organisation adviser.
Training context: Use a workplace or community-development scenario and focus on planning, collaboration, and measurable outcomes.
Online: Use a shared document, digital map, video call, and online presentation.

Conclusion: Recap and Reflection

Time: 10 minutes

Three-Two-One Reflection

Heidi records:

Three: Three ways governments or NGOs improve human wellbeing
Two: Two organisations that may work together
One: One question she still has about international or national wellbeing initiatives

Final Recap

Ask Heidi to complete the following statement:

“Human wellbeing can improve when governments…, international organisations…, and NGOs… . Cooperation is important because…”

Reinforce these key takeaways:

Human wellbeing includes health, education, safety, relationships, opportunity, equality, and living conditions.
National governments provide laws, funding, public services, and emergency responses.
International organisations coordinate action across countries and respond to global issues.
NGOs often provide specialist support, practical services, advocacy, volunteers, and community connections.
Effective initiatives are planned with local communities and measured using clear evidence.
Partnerships can improve wellbeing, but organisations must consider fairness, local needs, sustainability, and possible unintended effects.

Optional Follow-Up Activity

Heidi chooses one real organisation and creates a “Wellbeing Investigator” report containing:

The organisation’s name and location
The wellbeing issue it addresses
The people it supports
One current or recent initiative
Its partners or funding sources
Evidence of its impact
One strength and one possible challenge
Her recommendation for improving the initiative

Governments and NGOs Improve Human Wellbeing | Lesson Plan