Expetise.

Guidance.

Dr David Dubois, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Illinois, USA

Evaluating Evidence-Based Standards for Youth Mentoring Programs: Sliced Bread or Fools Gold?

In this presentation Dr. DuBois will critically examine evidence-based standards for youth mentoring programs. He will argue that current approaches to developing evidence-based guidelines in areas such as education and youth prevention fail to adequately take into account the complex realities of either research or practice. Drawing on both the findings of recent studies and his hands-on experience with delivery of services in mentoring programs, Dr. DuBois will provide recommendations for furthering evidence-based approaches to youth mentoring at both an agency and policy level. Specific attention will be given throughout his presentation to implications for Australia’s current National Youth Mentoring Benchmarks.

Dr Kristy Muir, Director of the Disability Studies and Research Centre at the University of New South Wales

Mentoring and holistically supporting young people: why, who and how?

Australian young people are a highly productive group and make a substantial contribution to our society. Yet, a sizable minority do not fare well and require additional supports and services. This paper argues that holistic support for young people who are at risk or who are already disengaged from society is essential and it explores the role mentoring can play as part of this support. It does so by examining how young people in Australia are faring across a range of life domains, how these domains are interconnected, which young people are most at risk of poor outcomes, what this broadly means for service providers, the role of mentoring, and the implications for mentoring organisations aiming to create a holistic supportive practice. 

Prof Martin Westwell, Director of the Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century at Flinders University

Creating Capacity

We are born with all of the hundred billion neurons that we will ever have but the reason why our brains grow after we are born is because of the formation of around one hundred and fifty trillion connections between these brain cells. Throughout our lives, everything that we do, everything that we see, everything that we experience can have a physical impact upon the way that our brains our wired up.

This personalisation of the brain to form an individual’s mind is crucially dependent upon the environment in which they find themselves and the experiences they have. These environments are shaped by so many subtle factors including the influence of mentors, teachers, parents, peers, the individual’s emotions and even the lighting!

In a technological world, environments have the capacity to change the way that we think, behave and learn in ways that were never possible. By exploring how some of the recent developments in the modern world that have modified the way young people think and learn, insights for the future of education can be gained.

As the world changes at an increasingly fast rate so the economic, social and cultural needs of young people change. In the face of so much uncertainty, how can society take an evidence-informed approach to better prepare young people for their futures?

Expertise.   

Guidance.

Maryjean deSandes, Chief Executive for Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley, USA

Length + Strength = Outcomes A Practitioner's View

Maryjean will share her insights through her practical experience in the field on the importance of match retention in mentoring relationships, how length and strength are critical components for success in these relationships, and the impact of the outcomes using evaluation tools that are the Program Outcome Evaluation and the Strength of the Relationship surveys.

Expertise.   

Guidance.

Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie, General Manager of the New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network

Kiwi Kids Across the Ditch - Mentoring Migrants

Bev will be sharing the latest findings from national research recently undertaken in New Zealand by the University of Auckland, which looked at ‘effective youth mentoring practice in New Zealand’. She will also be looking at the number of New Zealanders ‘crossing the ditch’ and how we support these ‘kiwikids’ more effectively – particularly those of Maori and Pacific Island ethnicity.

Day 1

Meteorite Mentoring

Early Intervention and Indigenous Mentoring

Presented by Deborah Gittens, Coordinator for Plan-it Youth, NSW Department of Education and Training

Meteorite Mentoring began as there was a need in a local regional NSW school. The students had to learn creative play. This journey will be outlined in a presentation that shows how an educational need became a week by week mentoring success. Ten mentors starting each Tuesday in the playground with a selection of fun play activities, from puzzles, to skipping ropes and bikes. They spent the recess period connecting with the students from the whole school. After recess they would gather in a learning circle with selected students to share, develop confidence and play games. Then one to one they would work with a student on a project, learn to knit, cook using vegetables from the Community Garden or just have a chat. At the end of the Round the mentors, parents and teachers finish with a Celebration Morning Tea. See how this project is now starting it's third selection of students and has the community, family and teachers all working together in the raising of their children.

Collaboration.

Expertise.

'It Can Be Tough, But It Can Be Done' - Effectively Mentoring 'At-risk' Young People

Mentoring homeless young people

Presented by Amy Beatty from Youth Futures WA

What about homeless young people? How do we effectively mentor young people who are homeless or at risk, disengaged from school, transient, involved in crime and marginalized from our community?

In 2005 JYSS asked these questions and through a literature review identified a lack of research and models of mentoring for this client group. Following this, JYSS conducted an extensive action research project with Edith Cowan University to develop a unique model for mentoring.

This presentation will introduce a mentoring model of intervention which can be integrated into existing agency structures as a complimentary strategy. As a result of this program, young people are reconnected with their community through a range of activities, develop an increased positive sense of self, enhanced resiliency, and reduce further risk taking behaviours. Delegates can expect to hear about the inherent challenges agencies face, the successes that can be achieved, and get some concrete recommendations.

Collaboration.

The Firey Youth Mentoring Program

CALD and Refugee mentoring programs

Presented by Michal Wright, Youth Worker from MacKillop Family Services

The Firey Youth Mentoring Program links Firefighters from Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) with young people who are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background. This program was set up as a partnership between the MFB and MacKillop Family Services who are one of the largest providers of specialist support services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and their families in South-Eastern Australia. The Firey Youth Mentoring Program is one of the MFB’s responses to ensuring an inclusive organisation that values cultural diversity. This presentation will look at the benefits as well as the challenges of working in partnership with another organisation. It will also highlight the programs approach to engaging young people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Moving from L2P - the Learner Driver Mentor Program Overview

Community collaboration

Presented by Meri Ivanovska, L2P Program Coordinator for Inner Northern LLEN and VicRoads

The L2P Learner Driver Mentor Program is a collaborative working partnership between the Transport Accident Commission, VicRoads, local municipalities, community based agencies and the broader community including schools, individual community members, community clubs, young people and parents. The presentation includes a Powerpoint presentation and a short DVD including audio to display interactive media as a tool to engage the public followed by information about how local community groups have joined in to support their local L2P program. To conclude, an overview of L2P supports and how they have enabled the program to operate successfully will be discussed and an analysis of how L2P may remain a sustainable youth development model will be presented.

Regional collaboration—life on the ground in rural Victoria.

Community collaboration

Presented by, Leigh Candy, Youth Mentoring Coordinator, St Lukes

In November 2005 the first Victorian regional youth mentoring co-ordination project, or RCP, started in Gippsland. Since January 2008 all six Victorian regions have had an RCP. Each RCP began with a brief: to strengthen local communities’ capacity to develop and sustain successful youth mentoring programs; to promote best practice; to get programs working together; and to offer professional development.

This paper is about ‘life on the ground’ for an RCP—the realities, the achievements, and what has been learned that would benefit a seventh region if one began tomorrow. It’s about collaboration between programs and between RCPs.

This presentation comes with an all-photos-no-words PowerPoint, an engaging speaker, and plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion after the ‘formal’ bit.

Collaboration.

Expertise.

Whitelion Mentoring - breaking the cycle of discouragement with high risk young people in the Youth Justice and Child protection Systems

Youth justice and child protection

Presented by Allison Trethowan, Program Manager - Mentoring, from Whitelion Inc

Whitelion supports high-risk young people involved with or at risk of involvement with the Youth Justice and Child Protection systems, through mentoring, employment, specialist youth programs and school based programs. With 9 mentoring programs across Victoria, 2 in Tasmania, 2 in South Australia and impending expansion into New South Wales Whitelion is becoming a nationally recognised expert in providing mentoring support to high-risk young people, working to break the cycle of discouragement and provide opportunities for positive life paths for young people. Whitelion have a strong mentoring model, adapting across metropolitan and regional, custodial and community settings whilst maintaining a continuous theme of commitment to working with the most challenging young people within society. This interactive presentation will include a Powerpoint presentation, DVD footage of interviews with mentors and mentees, and a promotional book recently published, telling the stories of a group of matches which have been supported by Whitelion.

Day 2

Guidance.

Making the most of it! – A new approach to the CAS Mentoring Program at Curtin University

Indigenous Mentoring

Presented by, Ebonee Lynch, Mentor Program Coordinator, Curtin University

In this presentation delegates can expect to hear about the CAS Mentor Program at Curtin University. The Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) at Curtin University is lucky to be able to provide a unique mentoring experience for its first and second year students. With the main focus on facilitating students to encourage contact, activities and events during their time on campus – the CAS mentor program has proved to enhance the opportunities for students to share experiences with the additional benefits of being a highly engaging, enjoyable and successful program for all people involved!

Collaboration.

Expertise.

The Leaving Care Program Mentoring Service

Young people with disabilities

Presented by Linda Pedersen and John Preston, Senior Project Officers from the Ageing Disability and Homecare, Department of Human Services and the Northcott Society

The Leaving Care Program is sponsored by Ageing Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services NSW and underpinned by partnerships with Department of Human Services NSW agencies Community Services and the NSW Housing.  The Program assists young people with a disability to transition from the parental responsibility of the Minister for Community Services to live as independently as possible. The mentoring service offers additional support to young people in the Program, covering potential gaps between formal/ professional support and informal care provided by families and friends in assisting young people with their journey to adulthood. The Northcott Disability Services were engaged to operate the Leaving Care Program Mentoring Service in 2009 aimed at helping young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to make informed choices and lead fulfilling and productive lives. Positive outcomes and challenges of providing this mentoring service will be discussed in this presentation. (Visual - Case studies)

Ignition: At -risk Teenagers and Corporate Partnerships

Young people with disabilities

Presented by Meredith Hudson, Family and Individual Support Worker for the Spastic Centre of NSW

In this presentation delegates can expect to hear about an award-winning model of one-on-one mentoring and guided discussion in a group situation partnering with corporate volunteers. Although Ignition Mentoring is provided for teenagers with a physical disability, the model used is highly relevant for other target groups. The issues that cause many young people to experience a disconnection from civic and family life are exacerbated by the presence of a disability. This presentation will describe the development, implementation and positive outcomes of Ignition - a highly successful and innovative program for teenagers with a physical disability. The mentoring program is interspersed with group-building activities and challenges. It also incorporates a concurrently run parent support group facilitated on a mutual aid model.

In addition to traditional mentoring successes, Ignition engenders the building of social capital, community participation and the breaking down of stereotypes by the collaboration with 3 different & enthusiastic major corporate partners. The multimedia presentation will give an opportunity to hear from participants of the program themselves - both students and mentors - about the Ignition experience.

Collaboration.

Expertise.

Engaging VCAL Students As Youth Mentors

Mentoring young parents

Presented by Glenda Rumble, Volunteer Coordinator for the Caroline Chisholm Society

The Caroline Chisholm Society (CCS) Volunteer Mentor program has expanded to fill a growing community need to provide support to socially isolated families. Volunteer mentors are trained and supported to mentor pregnant women and those with young families in partnership with CCS caseworkers who provide outreach support through CCS family services programs. Mentors can then assist families implement behaviour modification strategies to improve their circumstances including (but not limited to) basic life skills such as shopping for a healthy family diet within limited financial means, basic hygiene and nutrition particularly for families in transition from homelessness, therapeutic play, participating in community programs. Many CCS clients live in very difficult circumstances that have exacerbated their isolation. CCS Mentors provide an important link to integration with the services and communities that clients need to improve their personal circumstances and minimise the risk of their families perpetuating the cycle of disadvantage. In this presentation delegates can expect to learn how CCS works in collaboration with local Secondary Schools to engage the Year 11 and 12 VCAL students in the Mentoring Program.

Collaboration.

Expertise.

Bump Mentoring Program for Young Mums

Mentoring young parents

Presented by Vicki Condon, Director of The Young Love Foundation

Asista: Enthusiastic, Optimistic and Fearless

Gender specific mentoring programs

Presented by Eloise Brown, Co-ordinator for Asista Mentoring

YWCA Victoria’s Asista Mentoring Program is a gender specific program which has been matching young women with a volunteer female mentor for over 11 years.  All of the young women have involvement with the Child Protection system. YWCA Victoria’s investment in, and commitment to mentees and mentors has enabled Asista to build a vibrant community of women committed to mentoring, empowering young women and having fun! In this presentation delegates can expect to hear about the importance of gender specific programming, and will showcase Asista’s innovative approach to mentoring - building a supportive community in addition to strong one to one mentoring relationships. 

Collaboration.

Guidance.

UNITED WE SURVIVE!

Sustainble Partnerships

Presented by, David White, Youth Mentoring Manager YMCA Victoria and Rebecca Graham, Youth Mentoring Specialist YMCA Casey Region

Expect to be shaken AND stirred in this session which will focus on the role of effective and powerful partnering in mentoring.

With sustainability at the front of mind, we are going to explore the ‘How To’ the ‘When To’ and the ‘Better Not’ of developing long-term meaningful partnerships. Our one hour journey will leave you exhilarated and motivated to reach into the hearts and minds of key potential partners in your community. You will learn how to maintain those important relationships and most importantly, how to leverage ongoing support to help sustain your program.

Communities together achieve great results, divided we fall!

Day 1

Putting the Value Back in Evaluation

Evaluation Framework

Presented by Suzannah Connell, Mentoring Coordinator and Clare Wynne, Program Manager Youth Services from Kildonan Uniting Care

Monitoring and evaluation is critical for sustainability and future of mentoring programs. To achieve best practice and advocacy of mentoring programs in our community we need to ensure that monitoring and evaluation processes are embedded in the day to day operations of the program. The Youth Mentoring Program at Kildonan Uniting Care has developed a framework for monitoring and evaluation which integrates a range of monitoring and evaluation activities utilising a variety of mediums, capturing the individual experience, the match experience and the social outcomes. This presentation will highlight and detail this conceptual framework, detail the processes as they are applied to the core components of mentoring (i.e. recruitment and screening, supervision and support, match reviews) and consider the challenges and opportunities that monitoring and evaluation activities present for mentoring programs.

Guidance.

E-mentoring with Confidence

E-mentoring

Presented by Richard Wundke, Project manager Community Mentoring and Resources, Department of Education & Children’s Services in SA

The quality and integrity of the mentoring relationship is underpinned by coordinated screening, training and support for mentors. Transparent protocols around mentoring practice ensure a safe and supportive environment for young people and their mentors.

This presentation will enable participants to understand how Saba Centra allows both mentors and students to log into a secure environment where relationships grow under supervision of moderators and coordinators. Occasionally e-mentoring is unfavourably compared with face to face mentoring yet it often enables greater openness by participants to offer and accept feedback. It is also embraced more readily by those confined to home or workplace settings when time or travel issues are significant.

In a world of unprecedented change in communication, technology and culture, young people are faced with challenges, vulnerabilities and opportunities. Proactive and confident mentoring responses ensure key protective factors surround young people to build their health and wellbeing.

School based mentoring and disengagement in schools

Research on school based mentoring

Presented by Jeanette Pritchard, Coordinator for the Standing Tall School Based Mentoring Program

The presentation will be presented with a Powerpoint Presentation which will look at  the contribution school base mentoring can make to the challenges of disengagement faced in the Education sector. The Presentation will be based on an overview of research done for a 2008 RMIT Handbury Research Fellowship into the factors leading to disengagement in schools, risk and protective factors affecting engagement in schools and an evaluation of the Standing Tall model of school based mentoring with its strong focus on school and community ownership and the way that this can be nurtured to produce the best outcomes for the young people involved the a school based mentoring program.

Guidance.

Conducting a Best Practices Audit for Your Mentoring Program

Best Practices Standards

Presnted by David DuBois,  Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Illinois, USA

How well does your mentoring program reflect current standards and principles for best practice? What opportunities exist for improvement and strengthening your program? This workshop will guide participants through a step-by-step process for answering these questions. Participants will work in small groups to practice applying the steps to hypothetical programs and then will make plans for conducting best practices audits of their own programs.

Mentor Training – The process and the product developing a package to support all programs

Mentor Training

Presented by Sarah Johnson, Executive Officer, Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance

This presentation will explore the Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance’s (VYMA) journey to develop a Generic Mentor Training Package.

We know that the training of volunteer mentors is critical to the success of each mentoring relationship. Over the last year, we have worked with our members to develop a flexible resource that presents the minimum initial training for volunteer mentors.

Sarah Johnson, Executive Officer, will discuss the eleven modules from ‘An Introduction to Mentoring’ to ‘Adolescence and the Issues Facing Young People’ and from ‘Conflict Management and Problem Solving’ to Working with Young People from Refugee and Migrant Backgrounds’.

Come on the journey with the VYMA and, of course, get your hands on the package!

Day 2

Mentoring for effective learning

Mentoring for effective learning

Presented by Sue Grunwald, Liz Browne and Richard Wundke, DECS Student Mentoring Team  

The interactive session will show how effective learning can be achieved by utilising a framework of support and community collaboration within a school setting.  Student voice and program evaluation will be showcased as evidence of good practice.

Taking a partnership approach to Leading the Way in Youth Mentoring- building capacity, evidence and opportunities for young people in Victoria.

Government Mentoring Framwork

Presented by Gina Fiske, Programs Manager, Office for Youth, Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development

The presenter will share knowledge of a partnership approach to Leading the Way in Youth Mentoring (LTW) across Victoria, the government’s strategic framework for mentoring young people. The LTW Action Plan will be presented to show how partners in philanthropy, programs and local communities explored new ways to improve the quality, practice and tools of mentoring based on guiding principles.

A recent review of the progress of LTW, including case studies, evidence and stories of mentoring approaches and programs will be showcased. This will include learnings from twelve new mentoring programs targeting diverse young people, six regional coordination projects that build skills/ knowledge, developing program tools and an evaluation framework.

Discussion themes are: How have these initiatives led to stronger networks and knowledge of effective practice? What are the challenges? How can we use common tools and gather evidence of the benefits of mentoring young people

Collaboration. Expertise.

Local Support Networks – Hunter Youth Mentoring Collaborative and SA Mentoring Network

Local Support Network

Presented by Kay Sharp, Chair and Melinda Smith, Vice Chair of the Hunter Youth Mentoring Collaborative and Lori Hocking, Executive Officer, Quality LinCS, South Australian Youth Mentoring Network

The Hunter Youth Mentor Collaborative (HYMC) is a not-for-profit umbrella organisation that supports groups providing mentoring initiatives across the region. HYMC helps develop and promote the growth of mentoring programs through regular network meetings, special forums, educational scholarships, funding for specific projects and most importantly, advocating on behalf of mentoring groups.

From humble beginnings, HYMC’s membership has steadily grown through developing valuable links and partnerships with individuals and organisations across the community, business sector and schools.

The HYMC model represents what is achievable when a collaborative approach underpins and guides an organisation’s strategic direction.

The South Australian (SA) Mentoring Network aims to be an inclusive Network that provides a voice for mentoring and mentoring programs in SA. The Network provides opportunities for sharing information and offers professional support to a diverse and evolving membership. The Network is not formalised yet the strength of the Network is the stability of membership, the relationships amongst providers and the collegiacy for promoting ‘next practice’ in mentoring.

The presentation from, Lori Hocking, on behalf of the SA Mentoring Network will focus on:

a) Who needs to be involved in a ‘Network’ and what the ‘Network’ might offer!

b) Why collaboration amongst mentoring providers is paramount; and

c) The next steps for the SA Mentoring Network.

Social Media and Mentoring: Policies, Gaps, and Boundaries

Social Networking and Mentoring

Presented by Sarah Kramer, Program Director, Friends for Youth’s Mentoring Institute USA

Social media and networking offer numerous ways to professionally engage with youth, serving both program needs, like volunteer recruitment, and youth adaptability, to aid in areas like communication. However, technology can also bring up questions about safety, boundaries, and appropriateness. Social Media and Mentoring: Policies, Gaps, and Boundaries will explore social media and networking options, including the most popular platforms of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, and a case study highlighting how one agency decided to approach becoming social media-relevant. Additionally, results from a US youth mentoring program survey on uses of technology/social media and sample policies that address safety and ethical considerations will be shared.

Research on Mentoring in Australia 10 years on: What do we know and what do we need to know?

Mentoring Research

Presented by Dr Judith MacCallum, Dean, School of Education, Murdoch University

In 1999-2000 Judy MacCallum and Sue Beltman conducted the first national review of youth mentoring in Australia. Their research characterised mentoring as it was conceptualised and implemented at the time and developed guidelines to support development of effective mentoring programs. Ten years on, what research has been carried out and what more do we know about mentoring in Australia? This session will review the research that has been conducted in Australia over the last 10 years, and in an interactive workshop consider what we still need to know to take mentoring in Australia to the next phase.

As always, the networking and learning experience is invaluable. But having attended several such events over the past six years it is rare for something to stand out as much as that opening morning (Wednesday).

The keynote speakers on that morning – Dr David DuBois, Dr Kristy Muir and Prof Martin Westwell – were magnificent and their sessions set the tone for the day.

Amongst the other delegates with whom I engaged later in the day, it seemed generally agreed that that first morning session was as thought-provoking, interesting and insightful a learning experience as most of us have had for some time.

To those at the AYMN who put together such a wonderful session my heartfelt congratulations and enormous gratitude.

Put simply, it was memorable.

Greg
Youth Worker
Co-ordinator - Youth Mentoring Assisted Pathways Program (YMAP)
Maribyrnong Moonee Valley LLEN

Thank you so much for a brilliant conference!

The level of expertise and knowledge from the speakers was extremely valuable.

The conference was extremely interesting and it was great to have the opportunity to meet and discuss mentoring with such passionate, open and like minded people.

We look forward to working with AYMN in the future to assist our schools develop best practice with your support.

Kara and Dianne
Partnership Consultants
ParraSIP

Media Coverage

Heywire Blog - Who Wants a Good Life?
Minister Garrett Closes the Australian Youth Mentoring Conference