Program targets at-risk youth
An innovative mentoring program aims to construct a brighter future for teenagers excluded from mainstream education.
Campus Connections Aotearoa will break new ground in Auckland from July 2017 by taking a ‘‘scaffolded approach’’ to educating at-risk youth. Around 25 young people will pioneer the program in West Auckland with plans to expand throughout the city by 2018.
Led by the University of Auckland, the scheme combines intensive one-to-one mentoring with groupbased activities and on-site therapy. University of Auckland senior Lecturer Pat Bullen says the approach offers an alternative to other mentoring practices.
‘‘Some of the challenges when we have young people with high levels of needs is that community based mentoring is not as effective,’’ she says.
‘‘Often their experiences in life encourage anti-social behaviour. What we do know is they often experience multiple stresses at the same time. This provides the opportunity to build the social character of a person.’’
Third-year social work students will provide 48 hours of one-to-one mentoring over a 12-week period at the university’s Epsom campus. The scheme will work alongside preexisting Alternative Education providers.
Each young person will then be supported to move into other social services, educational or employment opportunities.
‘‘Often a mentor comes from a different space, it persuades them to see the world through a new lens,’’ Bullen says.
The scheme has received $455,000 of funding from the Government, the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation and the Fletcher Trust. This is one of the first initiatives to receive funding under the Ministry of Youth Development’s new partnership fund, which encourages Government, business and philanthropic organisations to work together to invest in youth development opportunities.
It was inspired by the Campus Connections initiative at Colorado State University in the United States.
Bullen says the scheme will be adapted to cater for students’ unique cultural and social needs.
The partnership is expected to support at least 200 young people.