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What's NEW on the site? |
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Learn How To Enhance Your Mentoring with Web 2.0 Tools!
Do your mentees use Facebook, MySpace, YouTube or blogs? More and more mentees and mentors are savvy users of technology. Web 2.0 tools, such as those listed above, have extended the reach and capabilities of the Internet. In this new article, you can learn more about these new Web 2.0 tools and how you can use them to compliment your mentoring program.
New Resource Kit Available
The Western Sydney Young Women's Leadership Program (YWLP) sadly came to an end this year. However, before it closed, the YWLP produced a Resource Kit to enable individuals and organisations to replicate the YWLP as well as build on what has been developed, learnt and achieved in delivering it from 2005 to 2008.
The Resource Kit is intended for individuals, organisations and groups who are involved in, or thinking about, providing leadership development and/or community participation initiatives to young women.
The Resource Kit contains:
● Information on how to design, develop and implement initiatives similar to the YWLP;
● Copies of documents, tools and reports used during the YWLP (available electronically on the CD); and
● Leading Women, Inspiring Stories, a DVD that demonstrates what the Program achieved and how it was delivered through interviews with participants, mentors, supporters and staff.
Click here for more information
Did You Miss the Result from Our Latest Poll?
We ran three polls during 2008 - our latest poll was "Does it make a difference if the mentor and the mentee are from the same cultural background?"
The vast majority (80%) said 'Yes', it does matter that the mentor and mentee are from the same cultural background. Many believed that it would be harder to make a match where the mentor and mentee are from different backgrounds. Those who answered in the affirmative also believed that communication would be enhanced if the mentoring pair was from the same background. Those who answered in the negative believed that cultural backgrounds should not matter if a pair was to develop a friendship and for a mentor to provide support.
Keep an eye on our website for more Polls in 2009! |
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In The Loop |
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2009 Bigger and Better!
2008 saw the Network train another 90 new coordinators through NRGize, 421 people attended the forums and 46 mentors attend the inaugural Mentor Summit. Next year looks set to be even bigger with the launch of the National Youth Mentoring Week which will take place on the 25th - 31st of October 2009! Youth mentoring week has been held with great success in Victoria for the past two years and it is time we made this a national celebration. So put these dates in your diary now. More information on this will appear in our February Newsletter.
In February we will also be launching our 2009 Training Calendar. The new training workshops are a result of the training survey coordinators participated in earlier this year. These new advanced workshops will be conducted on top of the forums series and the NRGize workshops for new coordinators. So keep an eye on our events section for more new and exciting workshops in 2009! |
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New Research |
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High School Students as Mentors: Findings From the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study
 School-based mentoring is one of the fastest growing forms of mentoring. This study aims to assess the impact of school based mentoring. It looks at:
● How do matches with high school students differ from those of adult volunteers
● How do the mentees and their menotrs benefit from the match
● What are the characteristics of the school based mentoring programs which participated in the study and whether practices within these mentoring programs is associated with match success.
Youth Mentoring: Do Race and Ethnicity Really Matter?
 This article will summarise and distill research on youth mentoring that helps answer questions such as:
● Does it matter whether mentors and mentees are matched on race and ethnicity?
● Are same-race matches necessarily more beneficial than cross-race matches?
● Do ethnicity and race affect the way mentors and mentees relate?
● Are there other ways in which mentors, and mentoring programs, can foster cultural sensitivity in mentoring relationships?
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Win an iPod Shuffle! |
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Update your YMN Database Program Details Today!
To ensure that the information we provide to potential volunteers, teachers, parents and young people remains accurate we are asking all users to log on and ensure the contact details and program information are still correct. If your information is not updated by the Friday, 12 December 2008 we will assume you do not want your program to be listed and will remove it from the website.
If you update your details, or advise us of no changes, before 12 December 2008, you will go into a draw to win an Apple iPod Shuffle.
How to update your program details
Simply enter your user name and password under the members' login section and you be taken to your program details. Please note that when you update your information, you will temporarily be taken off our website. Don't worry! Your program will be back online within 24 hours.
What if your program details are correct?
Forgotten your username or password?
Email info@youthmentoring.org.au with your name and program details and we will provide you with further information.
Program not listed?
If you are running an Australian youth mentoring program and are not listed on our website, don't worry! You can still register your program on our website by 12 December 2008 and you will also go into the draw to win the iPod Shuffle!
Deadline 12 December 2008
Hurry, you must update your details or advise us of no changes by 12 December 2008 to be in the draw! |
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OSAT Competition Winners! |
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Thank you for completing OSAT!
The OSAT competition is now closed. Thank you to all those who completed OSAT during October and November.
We have drawn the winners of our OSAT competition and would like to congratulate the winners, Alicia Kilminster and Jodie Matthews.
Alicia Kilminster, who won the Coles Myer gift card, is from the Rockingham Youth Mentoring Program. This mentoring program focuses on 'supporting the pathways of young people" and emphasises the value and choices of young people who are involved in the program. The program is aimed at supporting the development of young people aged 10 - 17 years old living within the City of Rockingham. These young people may require additional support, guidance and friendship and may be at risk of homelessness, disengaged from school, victims of bullying, have low self-esteem and be socially isolated from their friends or peers.
Jodie Matthews, who won the Dymocks gift card, is from the Bass Coast South Gippsland Youth Mentoring Program. This program is a school based program which aims to provide support to young people based on identified need. They believe that 'it takes a village to raise a child' and through mentoring, they acknowledge the community effort and support required to ensure that all our young people make proactive and positive choices about their preferred future.
Congratulations again to Alicia and Jodie!
Even though the OSAT competition has now closed, OSAT is always open.
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Events
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Youth Mentoring Forum Series
The 2008 Series was a great success! A huge thank you to everyone who attended the YMN Mentoring Forum Series. We would also like to thank all the programs who co-hosted the Forums.
If you missed one of our forums or would like to access information used in the presentations, click here to visit our Past Forums page to download PowerPoint presentations or forum notes.
Forum Series 2009 - Co-hosts Needed
The Youth Mentoring Network is still looking for co-hosts for some of our 2009 events. If you are interested in being a partner organisation for a forum, download a MOU to see what is involved in the process or email info@youthmentoring.org.au.
Promoting an event or meeting?
If you have an event or meeting that would interest youth mentoring practitioners, funding groups or mentors themselves, then you can add these events to the E-newsletter and YMN website.
Simply send an email to info@youthmentoring.org.au containing all the event details and we will be happy to help with your promotion.
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Christmas/New Year Office Hours |
The Youth Mentoring Network office will be remain open during the Christmas/New Year period, with the exception of 25 & 26 December 2008 and 1 & 2 January 2009.
We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! | |
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Sincerely,
Kathleen Vella
Youth Mentoring Network Australia
Visit the website at http://www.youthmentoring.org.au | |
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