Since 2008 we’ve been working in schools across Australia, running our Youth Mentoring Program to provide up to 15 students in each school with an independent mentor – someone who shows up every week, just for them.
Raise mentoring explained
Raise Parent Carer Info SessionOur founder and CEO, Vicki Condon, explains how the Raise Mentoring Program works, how we find and train mentors, benefits your child will experience and how we keep your child’s safety paramount.
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We recruit and train volunteers from the local community to become youth mentors ready for when programs start. Each program is supervised by a Raise qualified counsellor who oversees the program, managing the school, students and the mentors.
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As part of a mentoring group, each student is paired with a mentor by the Program Counsellor. The student attends mentoring sessions through school term time at the same day and time each week to work one-to-one with their mentor.
The benefits of the program
Our program is designed to help young people better cope with life’s challenges. The skills they learn in the program will be useful to them all through life. Working one-to-one with the same mentor each week for six months enables young people to build a trusted relationship. They can work on the week's topic or set the agenda themselves and use the time to discuss what’s important to them. We work with the students on the four main areas below:
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Young people are the least likely of any age group to seek help. Through mentoring, young people have more capability to ask for help and a stronger likelihood of accepting it. They develop trust in adults, improve communication skills, and can find support and resources.
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With higher levels of hope, young people improve socially and academically. They are able to set and achieve goals and develop a growth mindset with mentor support. Hope is a buffer against stress, anxiety and suicide ideation.
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Mentoring improves a young person’s ability to bounce back after stress and enhances recovery. Mentors help young people to increase confidence, adapt to new situations, develop coping skills to deal with adversity and overcome challenges.
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Through mentoring, young people improve their relationship with peers and teachers. Mentees attend school more frequently, resulting in increased grades, higher school completion rates, stronger academic confidence and better economic outcomes.
Youth safety is paramount
In addition to having a qualified counsellor to manage the program, our volunteer mentors are fully trained and required to provide Working With Children and National Crime Checks. All of our staff including mentors are trained in youth safety and our strict Code of Conduct.
Students are invited to attend an information session at the school which is run by our Program Counsellor. All parents and carers are provided a link to provide consent online.
Similar to our student mentees, our mentors come from a diverse range of background and experiences, and they all have one thing in common – they are passionate about providing support for young people and ensuring their voices are heard. Thanks to all our supporters and mentors we have been able to support over 13,500 young people so far.
Learn more about the mentorsStudent selection for the program
Our program is suitable for young people aged 13-15, typically in years 7-9. The selection process is entirely down to the school who base their decisions around the young people who they think would most benefit from having a mentor. Schools invite the students that they think would appreciate having someone independent to talk to and begin the process by inviting them to an information session.
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Fiona, parent
“He seems much happier and is kinder, more loving and less irritated at home.”
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Holly, parent
“I felt that as parents we may not be experts in providing all the right advice and I believe a mentor can make a positive impact to a child’s future.”
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Richard, parent
“My daughter is more open to conversations with me. It has tremendously helped our relationship!”
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Chiara, carer
“I have a happy kid back in my family. She can cope a lot more and is so much better at dealing with things.”
Want to know more?
Get in touch with any questions you may have and check our program location map to find out which schools are running our program.