Become a Mentor

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a mentor, now is your chance.Standing Tall in Hamilton Inc. is a local charity and an award-winning,school-based mentoring program working closely with our schoolpartners across the Southern Grampians Shire. We are currently seeking community members in Balmoral, Dunkeld, Hamilton and Penshurst whoare interested in supporting students in our Program by becomingvolunteer mentors. One hour of your time each week has the potentialto change two lives forever.

"𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥, 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢" - 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣

What is involved?

Application, screening, training and matching.
Mentors are asked to make a 1 year commitment to their mentee.
Attend 1-hour per week mentoring session, face-to-face, with mentee at their school. Day and time each week is set by the school and remains unchanged throughout each school year. No mentoring during school holidays or outside school hours.

What is mentoring? Mentoring is a mutually beneficial relationship that involves a trusting adult offering support and guidance to a young person, sharing their own knowledge, skills and life experiences to help guide another towards reaching their full potential. A mentor:

Is honest.
Actively listens.
Provides support and encouragement.
Guides a young person to identify their strengths.
Enables a young person to see things from a different perspective.
Assists with goal setting.
Acts as a sounding board for ideas and problems.
Triggers self-awareness.
Offers unconditional acceptance.
Offers optimism and support.

If this sounds like you, please apply now.

Why?20 years since we launched, Standing Tall is now operating in:

16 primary and secondary schools in the Southern Grampians.
42 students are currently being actively mentored.
Over 30 new student referrals received in Term 1, 2023.

We offer a connection for students access to an extra role model in their life that is reliable and trustworthy and can support them by offering positive guidance, support, routine & encouragement. Some, but not all, of these young people may be referred to us for any of the following reasons:

In need support and relief from the impact of disadvantage.
At risk of disengagement from their education or community.
Limited positive engagement opportunities with role models.
Economic hardship/poverty, or sub-optimal home environment.

We recruit, screen, train and match mentors to:

Help students who are not coping with their schooling.
Work with young people to enjoy their time at school. Reduce absenteeism by students.
Pass on valuable life skills and bring about attitude changes and respect by learning to work with an adult.
Build self-esteem through support and encouragement.
Improve respect for themselves, others, the community, and community property.
Reduce the risk of early disengagement from education, whilst encouraging the continuation of educational pathways to further study or engagement in work.