The Mount Alexander Youth Mentoring Program matches young people aged between 12 and 25 with a volunteer adult mentor for one-on-one mentoring. Mentors meet with their young person on a regular basis, either at a school or in the community.

The program is a partnership between CHIRP Community Health, Mount Alexander Shire Council and Castlemaine Secondary College.

Why become a Youth Mentor?

Adolescence can be a challenging stage of life. A young person might be facing some personal challenges their life such as difficulties at school, family instability, trouble with their peers, or indecision about vocational goals. Some of the young people come from backgrounds of economic and social disadvantage.

Research shows that mentoring can make a real difference in a young person’s life. It builds the relational wealth of a young person and the more quality relationships a young person has in their life, the more their resilience, self-esteem and confidence grows.

Our Youth Mentors volunteers all have a desire to have a positive influence on a young person’s life. But they are also willing to be influenced by their young person!

What is involved in becoming a Youth Mentor?

After the initial screening and training, mentors are then matched one-on-one with a young person who is willing and keen to have a mentor in their life. You will receive training in youth mentoring and ongoing support from the Youth Mentor Program Coordinator.

Mentors are usually matched with a young person based on their gender and shared interests. Once matched, the mentor and young person will decide together how they would like to spend their time.

We recommend that the mentor and young person arrange to meet up regularly (i.e. an hour a week or two hours a fortnight) and do whatever it is they are interested in doing together. No or low-cost activities are encouraged such as bush walking, going to festivals, cooking or building things together.

We encourage mentors to commit to their young person for 12 months. Our volunteers have a code of conduct to guide ethical practice, and the young people have their own code of conduct too.

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in becoming a Youth Mentor, please call us on (03) 5479 1000 and ask to speak to the Youth Mentor Program Coordinator.

Please note that all of our volunteers must undergo comprehensive screening checks including a police check and a Victorian Working with Children Check prior to commencing volunteering with us.