Volunteers needed to mentor disadvantaged students

The Smith Family is calling for 1,500 volunteers across the country to provide online mentoring for disadvantaged students through the 2018 iTrack program.

iTrack connects high-school students from Years 9 to 11 with a mentor who can offer support and guidance with their post-school plans. For an hour per week over 18 weeks (two school terms), mentors chat with their student via a monitored, secure online chatroom to provide advice and encouragement on work, study and career opportunities.

“Growing up in disadvantage creates barriers that can make it difficult for a young person to see the benefit of completing Year 12. During their critical teen years, many students disengage from their education or drop out of school altogether,” said The Smith Family’s Head of Policy and Programs, Wendy Field.

“Becoming an iTrack mentor is a simple way to make a world of difference in a young person’s life. Sparing just one hour a week to support a student who may not have access to positive role models and mentors can help build their aspirations, keep them engaged at school and guide them in reaching their career goals.”

A recent evaluation¹ found 88 per cent of iTrack students said their mentor helped them to be more positive about future career and study options, while 90 per cent of students said the program helped them understand more about reaching their career goals.

The benefits of the program extend to the mentors too, with 89 per cent of surveyed volunteers saying they would recommend the experience to friends, family and colleagues.

“There’s a wealth of research that indicates volunteering leads to better health and happiness – and being an online program makes iTrack very appealing and convenient, particularly for busy office workers who can’t get away from their desk or parents who might be taking time out of work to care for children at home,” Ms Field said. “Mentors can interact with their student from a laptop or smartphone, which means it can be done anywhere, anytime.”

All mentors are screened and matched with a student, where possible according to the student’s career aspirations. No specialised skills or experience are required and a three-hour training session is provided to volunteers prior to the program commencing.

“Our iTrack program is completely reliant on being able to find volunteer mentors, and next year we are aiming to reach even more young people in need. We have 1,500 students across Australia who are hoping to be connected with a mentor in 2018 – if we don’t have enough volunteers signed up by the New Year, these students will miss out on a potentially life-changing opportunity,” said Ms Field.

“We’ve had a range of volunteers from different backgrounds become wonderful mentors. If you’re a good communicator, supportive and believe in the importance of education to help young people break the cycle of disadvantage, then we’d love for you to consider becoming a mentor.”

Register now to mentor a student in 2018 at thesmithfamily.com.au/itrack

¹ 2015 iTrack evaluation report