Youth Frontiers provides under-engaged NSW kids aged 12 – 16 with the opportunity to be mentored by local volunteer adults to work collaboratively on a community project of their choosing.
The program targets children who have had limited opportunities and are struggling to connect to school or community life.
Save the Children Murrumbidgee team leader Bre Camp is in the process of recruiting mentors for programs in Wagga Wagga and surrounds, including Lake Cargelligo.
“I’m looking for local community members to volunteer as mentors to these young people and help them identify and achieve their goals, as well as build self-esteem and confidence through enhancing their skills and knowledge,” Ms Camp said.
“The program simply can’t function without volunteers and it’s a fantastic opportunity for locals to give back to their communities in a really meaningful way.”
Ms Camp said mentees would receive a minimum of 35 hours mentoring, including at least 10 hours of one-on-one and face-to-face mentoring.
The program gives mentees an opportunity to build life skills and self-confidence and achieve recognition for their contribution to the community.
Ms Camp said research on mentoring programs for youth showed that a positive mentoring relationship could notably improve many areas of a young person’s life.
“The Youth Frontiers program is strongly evidence based which gives me great confidence it will succeed and flourish in the Murrumbidgee region,” Ms Camp said.
Save the Children Australia is delivering the Murrumbidgee service and sub-contracts Marathon Health to run the Far West and Western NSW district Youth Frontiers programs.
The Youth Frontiers Mentoring Program is an initiative of the NSW Government that has delivered mentoring to almost 1,200 young people across NSW each year since it began in 2015. Earlier this year the NSW Government committed to fund the delivery of the Youth Frontiers program until 2020.
Call Alex Sampson on 0429 943 027 for interviews.