By Parker McKenzie
A recently launched program in the Dandenong Ranges is crowdfunding to promote “community buy-in” and future sustainability for one-on-one mentorship for young people.
In 2021, Jeanette Pritchard floated the idea of a mentorship program for young people in the hills and after receiving seeding money from Yarra Ranges Council, formed a steering committee in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia.
Ms Pritchard said the program gained traction with the local community after a launch event in 2022 and she is hoping people will buy into the program and help with the crowdfunding.
“What I know to be true is that if someone puts money into something, they are engaged with it,” she said.
“What happens all too often with these types of programmes is they receive good funding, but the they aren’t sustainable because the community doesn’t own it and buy into it.”
The aim of the crowdfunding is to raise $60,000 over the next six months, enough to establish and set up 20 mentoring matches in the next year.
Ms Pritchard said she is trying to replicate a program she launched in Hamilton called Standing Tall, which is still running two decades later.
“That’s very unusual for a mentoring program. The reason it is still going and is flourishing — going from one school to 15 schools — is because the community has embraced it,” she said.
“I’m working closely with schools, probably because of my background in teaching, but I have a strong belief that keeping kids engaged with school is their greatest life chance.”
The program partners young people aged seven to 17 with an adult for one-on-one, 12-month intensive mentorships designed to respond to the individual needs of young people.
Ms Pritchard said the fundraising campaign was stage two of the launch of the program, and she hopes to raise enough money to employ a full-time mentorship coordinator.
“It’s a community development approach, rather than just bringing a programme to a community,” she said.
“I’ve seen the different trajectories of mentoring programmes and I’ve seen the ones that have flourished and I’ve seen the ones that have fallen over, and I’ve come to realise it’s that it’s a major factor that will keep it up and running.“
Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia is a part of the world’s largest volunteer-supported mentoring network, operating out of 14 countries.
For more information on the Dandenong Ranges mentorship program or to donate, visit readyfundgo.com/project/youth-mentoring-in-the-dandenong-ranges-yes-we-can
