EdConnect Mentors supporting students in learning for life

Program description

EdConnect recruits, trains and places committed community members in mentor roles in schools to support students in learning for life.

EdConnect works with a school’s nominated staff member to make up to 5 successful mentor matches between volunteer mentors and 1–4 students to meet the needs of their students. Mentoring sessions are held during school hours, on school grounds and in open spaces under supervision of staff.

Each Mentoring session is up to one hour, once per week for a full school year. Sessions are based on the needs of the student as the focus of EdConnect Mentors is to build relationships and trust with their student to support their needs.

Intended outcomes

• Improved student attendance.
• Improved student concentration and participation.
• Reduced disruptive behaviour.
• Stronger relationships between students, staff and community.
• Improved student educational outcomes.
• Improved student wellbeing.

Program details

Implementation considerations

• Target population: Year 4–6 primary students and all secondary students.
• Program adaptability: The School Coordinator identifies students who would benefit from a Mentor and works with EdConnect to establish desired Mentor with attributes to achieve a successful match including consideration of culture, experience, qualifications, hobbies/interests and personality. EdConnect will recruit specifically for such Mentor roles or draw from the Mentor pool to meet the needs of the student and/or school. The program is suitable for diverse cohorts including:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
  • asylum seeker and refugee students
  • culturally and linguistically diverse students
  • LGBTIQA+ students
  • neurodivergent students
  • out-of-home care students
  • students with a disability.
• Staffing: Schools will not need to have backfill for participating staff, however a staff member will need to be within line of sight for mentoring sessions.
• Training requirements: EdConnect requires the school to nominate a staff member to fill the role of School Coordinator. The School Coordinator will receive training (one hour) prior to the program and receive ongoing support from an EdConnect Area Manager. The School Coordinator is usually a senior wellbeing staff member or Deputy Principal, who will work with their team to identify students who would benefit from a mentor, obtain parental permissions, assist with the matching process, complete observation forms and regularly check in with Mentors.
• Factors to consider: Mentoring relationships can be with individual students or small groups of up to 4 students and will occur during school hours, on school grounds in open areas ensuring line of sight by school staff. The sessions are up to one hour, once a week during term for one year. The mentoring relationship is based on the school year and will conclude at the end of Term 4, however can begin from as late as Term 3 and recommence the following year based on student need and mentor availability.
• Australian context: The program has been developed and applied in Australia.

Cost

Minimum cost

$5,000+

Detailed cost

The EdConnect Mentor program is $6,270 (inc. GST) per school, per year. This includes:

• up to 5 x volunteer mentors per school as organised by EdConnect, with each mentor to visit the school for one hour per week for one school year, totalling 40 hours of mentoring per mentor
• EdConnect website resources including forms, training guide and resources
• annual school impact summary provided at the end of the year.

Note that the program cost is based on the school year and a pro-rata fee will apply from Term 3 onwards.

Additional mentors (more than 5) are available for $679.80 (incl. GST) per mentor for the entire program.