Youth Mentor Program
Brief description of role Are you interested in making a profound difference in the life of a young person in your local community? Kildonan Uniting Care is seeking flexible patient and reliable volunteers to mentor a young person aged between 11 and 17 who has experienced adversity or childhood trauma. The program has been designed to enhance the young person's community engagement and connectedness, social and emotional well-being, sound decision making skills and general self-worth through developing a relationship with a stable and positive adult role model. Once accepted into the program, mentors are required to spend a couple of hours a week with their mentee engaging in negotiated recreational activities for the first three months and fortnightly thereafter. Activities may include walking in the park, visiting the local library, attending festivals, playing sports, cooking or going for a drive together. Mentoring is proven to make a profound impact in the life of the young person and the wider community with 90% of the mentees developing a positive view of their future , and increase in 81% of mentees school attendance and a reduced likelihood of engaging with substance abuse by 78%. List of skills required for this role Volunteer mentors come from all walks of life including various ages, cultures, faith systems, genders, with a myriad of skills and abilities. Mentors must be: Interested in supporting a young person. Aged 21 and older. Non-Judgmental, flexible, patient and reliable. Based in the local government areas of Whittlesea, Nillumbik, Banyule, Darebin, Yarra, Moreland and Hume. Kildonan support Volunteer Youth Mentors by providing the following: Induction and training Peer support sessions where mentors have opportunities to come together and share experiences. Professional development sessions with themes that vary in accordance with the interest of mentors. Regular supervision and reviews where mentors can reflect and share. Occasional provision of event tickets e.g. movies, AFL games.
