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Youth Mentoring April update
11 Apr 14
April 2014
In this issue:
MentorPlus Wellington workshop 12 & 13 May - 5 places left!
This is an excellent workshop opportunity for people working with young people, who need to add a mentoring dimension to their role.
Our small group training workshops bring together youth workers, teachers, social workers, and community-based mentors working with young people. This diversity of participants supports opportunities to learn about different cultures, values and perspectives, and effective skills for working with New Zealand's diverse young people.
During the two day course attendees will learn key skills in:
- communicating effectively with a young person
- managing risk & behaviour when working with a young person
- helping young people explore their identity and culture, and
- assisting personal development
Read more about this programme and register online now.
Update from Pat Bullen, Vodafone World of Difference 2014 Fellowship recipient
We are delighted to be able to share Pat's blog with you so you can keep up to date with her Fellowship journey. In her first installment Pat updates us on:
- the Youth Mentoring Summit she attended along with 700 researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Arlington Virginia in late January. Two key take home messages for Pat were, first, networking and collaboration are vital to the advancement of the sector, and second, there is a real need to ensure research within the sector is made accessible to practitioners;
- Her visits to a number of tertiary institutions and youth mentoring programmes across the United States and what she learnt; and
- Her presentations at the Festivals of Education in Auckland and Christchurch late last month. At these presentations we talked about how we need to do more to ensure that the knowledge, skills and resources we possess within our tertiary institutions are used to better support the needs of our local communities – and in particular the programmes within our communities that serve our rangatahi. Pat's presentation.
Pat is passionate about the power of youth mentoring and in particular how mentoring can transform the lives of our rangatahi. Her aim through her Fellowship, is to enhance the sector by engaging in a series of activities that increase the quality and reach of youth mentoring in Aotearoa. Here is the link to Pat's first blog: http://foundation.vodafone.co.nz/03/04/2014/transforming-lives-through-youth-mentoring/
YouthWeek 2014 Awards – Nominations Now Open
Youth Week 2014 is held between 17 and 25 May. The Ministry of Youth Development and Ara Taiohi are proud to bring you the Youth Week 2014 Awards. These awards will celebrate the achievements that young New Zealanders make everyday.
You can recognise the contribution that young people make in their communities by nominating a young person today. Nominations are open and will close at 9am Monday 28 April.
For more information check out http://www.myd.govt.nz/news/2014/youth-week-2014.html
New International Report -The Mentoring Effect
January 2014
Commissioned by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partners in the United States
The Mentoring Effect is a compelling new report informed by the first-ever nationally representative survey of young people on the topic of both informal and formal mentoring, to understand their perspectives on the outcomes and availability of Mentoring.
The experiences of the young people surveyed showed significant positive outcomes for those who had a mentor. At-risk young people with mentors were more likely to aspire to attend and to enroll in college. They were more likely to report participating in sports and other extracurricular activities. They also were more likely to report taking leadership roles in school and extracurricular activities and to regularly volunteer in their communities.
Whilst United States based, the report findings and recommendations offer some valuable insights that are very relevant to Aotearoa NZ. Click here for the full report
Youth Mentoring in the Media
Dionne Christian, NZ Herald reporter wrote a very infromative feature article on youth mentoring last month. It is well worth a read if you missed it.
Volunteers make a difference to communities throughout New Zealand, one young person at a time, finds Dionne Christian (NZ Herald, Saturday 15 March 2014)
Fatima Leung-Wai from Roots Collective talks with Cris Smith from West Lynn. Photo / Dean Purcell
On any given weekends, all across New Zealand, there are people who are volunteering their time to guide and advise young people. These volunteer mentors belong to a raft of programmes (some home-grown; some international) which aim to make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.
Programmes may involve one-to-one mentoring or be in a group or community.
read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11220583
In closing
Please pass this e-newsletter on to others in your community that work with young people and have an interest in mentoring.
Nicki McDonald
General Manager New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network | PO Box 99726 Newmarket M: 027 520 2981 | W: 09 521 8240 E: nicki@youthmentoring.org.nz | W: www.youthmentoring.org.nz
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