August - Youth Mentoring News

Hello everyone

In this month's e-news we announce an important new initiative to complete a nationwide mapping of the youth mentoring sector in NZ.   We also update our public mentor training schedule for the remainder of 2014 and offer a special deal for our annual Mentoring Matters Workshop.  

Invitation to register your programme with the Youth Mentoring Network

• Do you offer mentoring services to young people in your community?
• Do you need to recruit more mentors?

If your answer to either question is YES, we encourage you to register your programme with the Youth Mentoring Network.

We receive numerous enquiries from people wanting to volunteer to mentor a young person. We also receive many requests from parents and caregivers, social workers and school counsellors asking for help to find mentors for young people under their care.

To enable us to better respond to these requests for help, we want to establish a comprehensive and up-to-date database of organisations and practitioners offering mentoring services around the country. 

We are working closely with Dr Pat Bullen, University of Auckland Lecturer and recipient of the 2014 Vodafone World of Difference Fellowship. Pat's objective for her Fellowship is to enhance the quality and reach of youth mentoring in New Zealand. Specifically she has identified the need to establish a database of youth mentoring programmes in New Zealand.

Today our website lists 24 youth mentoring programmes operating in communities around New Zealand. This is an excellent platform to build upon, but we know, based on an initial analysis, there are many other organisations and practitioners that are offering mentoring to young people, often in conjunction with other youth focused services. 

We have developed a simple online form that will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It covers:  Organisation information; Mentor programme information; Mentee (young person) criteria; Mentor criteria and Programme statistics (note: programme statistics are being captured for statistical purposes and will not be displayed on the website). Once you complete the form, it will be submitted to the Network for review and approval prior to being posted to our website. 

Throughout the form there are helpful hints and explanations. If you have any questions please contact Nicki McDonald, E| nicki@youthmentoring.org.nz.

Thank you for taking the time to register your programme. We hope the outcomes of this initiative will:

• Increase access to and awareness of mentor-rich programmes that are available throughout New Zealand, and
• Serve to support networking and collaboration between programme providers in various communities.  

Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora te manuhiri.
Your food basket, and my food basket, will nurture the people.

Christchurch MentorPlus workshop - 20 and 21 October - limited places still available

We are really pleased to offer our popular two day MentorPlus workshop in Christchurch this year. 

Date:  20 and 21 October
Location:  Quality Hotel Elms, 456 Papanui Road
Cost:  $380 plus GST

This is an excellent workshop opportunity for people working with young people, who need to add a mentoring dimension to their role.

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.

Book now to avoid disappointment.

Mentoring Matters workshop 3 and 4 November - special price deal!

We are offering people wishing to attend our November Mentoring Matters workshop 25% off the normal advertised price of $600 plus GST. The special price for this course is $450 plus GST. Details are:

Date:  3rd and 4th November 2014
Location:  Parnell Rosepark Hotel, 92 Gladstone Road 
Special price:  $450 plus GST

This is an excellent workshop for organisations looking to establish a Youth Mentoring programme or wanting to ensure their current programme is aligned with international best practice. Topics covered include:

• planning and designing a programme to meet your communities needs
• recruiting mentors
• selection and screening of mentors and mentees
• mentor / mentee orientation and training
• successfully matching mentors and mentees
• supporting the mentor / mentee relationship, and
• Evaluating programme outcomes

Read more about this course and register online now. 

Additional MentorPlus course scheduled in Auckland - 24 and 25 November 2014

Due to demand, we have scheduled a further MentorPlus course in Auckland before the end of the year.

Date:  24 and 25 November 2014
Location:  Parnell Rosepark Hotel, 92 Gladstone Road
Cost:  $380 plus GST

Read more about this programme.

Book now to register.

Note: The Rosepark Hotel offers special accommodation rates for people attending the workshop.

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