A new program aiming to improve education and employment opportunities for St Helens students kicked off this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The THRIVE mentorship program will pair sixteen St Helens District High School students with sixteen volunteer mentors from the Break O’Day community, who will provide students with an extra source of guidance and support on a weekly basis.
The mentorship program is one of a number of projects currently operating under the THRIVE banner; an initiative created two years ago by St Helens Neighbourhood House in partnership with St Helens District High School, Break O'Day Council and St Helens Literacy Service aiming to improve year 12 outcomes in the region.
Over the next few weeks, all sixteen students will have worked with their mentors for the first time.
Mentoring program co-ordinator Emily McCormack said the program had already been met with strong support from students, families and community members.
“We already have a tremendous mix of community members offering to volunteer their time to make a difference in the life of a young person," Mrs McCormack said.
“All our volunteers are so passionate about the program and have felt really excited about actually starting mentoring with the young people.”
Mrs McCormack said those involved in the program had worked tirelessly to ensure students were matched with mentors sharing similar passions and personality traits.
“What we know from research is a well-informed matching process contributes a lot to the success of the relationships, so we have developed a comprehensive screening and training process.
“From that we build up a profile around their skills, their interests... what they feel they have to give and would like to share with a young person and then we start the matching process by talking to the senior staff and school principal about who they think would be the best fit.”
Mrs McCormack said she expected students would form valuable and worthwhile relationships with the mentors.
“We've matched students from age nine to 19 so we're looking for early intervention and also supporting older students around making the change into the adult world.
“We see this as a big early intervention program which gives students guidance and support and encouragement at a time in their lives when things can get tricky.”
THRIVE is an acronym for Transforming Health Relationships Innovation Vocation and Education.