Mentors guide Hervey Bay school students
HERVEY BAY teenagers are being supported by a community-strengthening program that aims to empower young people through one-to-one mentoring.
Funding from Carinity’s Collaborative Community Projects has enabled Hervey Bay Baptist Church to offer COACH youth mentoring at Carinity Education Glendyne.
Mentors spend one hour per week during school term with a student participant from the Nikenbah school, to help develop their strengths, build their confidence and set goals.
“Every student has their unique needs, circumstances and challenges. These can range from trauma, learning difficulties, social and emotional challenges, to family dynamic challenges, loneliness and isolation,” said Hervey Bay Baptist Church COACH Coordinator, Di Priest.
“The mentors bring their lived experience, faith, wisdom and training to walk alongside, listen, ask open-ended questions, and empower the young person to consider new ways of thinking, being and doing life.”
Gail Parry, Carinity Education Glendyne’s Attendance and Inclusion Support Worker, noted it is “refreshing to see that adults in our community are interested in supporting our young people”.
“Sometimes our young people just need some reassurance, to build confidence in themselves and their own abilities,” Gail explained.
“Some students are simply in need of a safe adult in their lives, someone who can model positive behaviours, and help them brainstorm issues they might be facing at school or at home.
“One of our students asked for their mentor to assist in a mediation to express some friendship issues that they were having with their peers.
“Another mentor spends time with one of our senior students on a project building and repairing a human-powered vehicle to race in the future.”
Philip Hamilton, Carinity’s Mission Engagement Manager – Community Development and Youth, said the Collaborative Community Projects had funded eight COACH projects over the past four years.
"COACH youth mentoring is an example of how volunteers and the church can engage meaningfully in their local community to help support kids and families doing life tough,” Philip said.
“The church teams are demonstrating how this can be done effectively by building trust and relationships in their local schools, to ensure kids feel supported and equipped to navigate really difficult seasons in their lives".
