Volunteer mentors wanted at Umina campus

Volunteers are wanted for the In School Mentoring Opportunity program at Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina campus.

The program aims to benefit the lives of students by providing a positive adult role model to talk to each week.

Volunteers are often retired, parenting at home, studying, or have flexible working hours and are an interested community member of any age.

Current mentors are aged between 25 and 82.

A mentor is required to be a good listener and able to act as a sounding board for ideas and aspirations.

They will spend two hours at the college on Monday mornings until late September.

All volunteers receive TAFE-accredited training before they start mentoring.

The training covers mentoring, active listening and adolescent development and will take place from 8:30am to 4:30pm on Monday, March 21.

The program is designed to complement each school's welfare team and helps to provide a community of support around those students who could do with some extra encouragement and goal setting to reach their full potential.

It aims to improve relationships and coping strategies, to increase self-confidence and achievement of goals, and to facilitate re-engagement with education and employment.

The program is supervised by a qualified counsellor provided by the Raise Foundation who supports the mentors.

Program counsellor Ms Pippa Sangster said: "An older person's skills and life experiences can make a real difference to a young person, and it just takes a few hours a week, a positive outlook and a genuinely compassionate interest in young people.

"Our mentors make a very tangible difference in the lives of our youth."

Applications will be accepted through the Foundation's website at www.raise.org.au.

Media release, 22 Feb 2016

Pippa Sangster, Raise Foundation