Hobart-based adults looking to ‘give back’ to their communities are being called upon to join a volunteer youth mentoring program to help make a difference in a young person’s life this year.

Vicki Condon, Founder and CEO of Raise Foundation said that with the current crisis facing the education sector, including workforce shortages and student disengagement, there had never been a more important time to think about volunteering.

“Young people in our programs are continuing to struggle with anxiety, bullying, depression and discrimination and mentors play such an important role in helping equip mentees with the tools to navigate this rocky life stage,” she said.

“We’re urging all trusted adults from Hobart to apply to mentor with Raise. You’ll receive industry accredited training and full support from qualified counsellors throughout the program.”

Tom X* volunteered with Raise last year, mentoring a 14-year-old young person who struggled with confidence and focusing at school.

“I faced some similar challenges at that age, so there were parts of their experience I could relate to and share stories about,” X said.

“I’d like to think our time together helped this young person learn more about their natural strengths, realise that those strengths are special and chase their passions without fear.

“Signing up as a mentor I initially felt a bit intimated, but it ended up being such an incredible experience. It taught me lessons I can apply in my role as a corporate leader as well as a parent.

“It meant so much realising what a positive difference I helped make at such a formative time in their life and I’d encourage anyone considering signing up to have a go.”

Evidence-led and focused on program evaluation, Raise measures the impact of the programs and has seen the young people who graduate grow in resilience, sense of belonging and hope for the future.

Last year the Raise youth mentoring program reached 2,824 young people. This year Raise aim to have 2,210 mentors enrolled by the end of February to help support as many young people as possible throughout 2024.

Registrations close on 28 February 2024. Find out more or apply to become a mentor here.

*Surname of mentor withheld to protect mentee privacy.