How do I become a mentor with the Schools Volunteer Program of the ACT? The complete process is shown on our Volunteers page and go to our Getting Started Do I have to pay for my Working with Children Check? No. For people volunteering in schools with SVPACT there is no charge for the WWVP Card. You will need to declare on the application that you intend to volunteer with SVPACT. You can apply to Access Canberra for this online by clicking. Working with Vulnerable People Card. Do I have to attend a mentor orientation seminar? Yes. It gives you the opportunity to find out how the program works, to meet other mentors and to ask questions. We also explain the boundaries of our program and how being a mentor is different to being a teacher’s assistant. The course prepares you for the important role of being a professional and compassionate mentor. When is the next Mentor training seminar being conducted? We usually run these events at the start of semester 1 and Semester 2. To see the Next Mentor Orientation Seminar. Go to Events. As a Mentor How can I assist students? Mentors can be asked to assist students in a variety of ways including improving Literacy and/or Numeracy, understanding Science, exploring Craft and Art and working on individual projects. However, the most important aspect of mentoring is building a relationship with the student, to improve their confidence and enjoyment at school. Mentors usually work with students one on one, or in small groups, under the supervision of the teacher. The school provides materials and other learning resources as required. Individual students are selected by the school and the tasks undertaken in the mentoring sessions will vary depending on the individual needs of students and the skills of the men How does Mentoring with Mecanno Work? Participating mentors work in teams of four or more to work one to one with students in a group environment. The involvement of an individual student is generally for a ten-week period, which matches the time usually taken to complete a model. This has proved very successful in enhancing the self-esteem and confidence students. What are the Expectations of Volunteer Mentors These are set out in our Code of Conduct Click Here The most important requirement of our mentors is that they honour their commitment to the student by attending the school on time and prepared for their mentoring sessions. Will I be working with students during the school holidays? No. Volunteers with SVPACT meet with a student at their school and only during school terms. You are not allowed to meet up with the child out of school or to go to their home or to watch them play sport at the weekends. For School Holiday dates on Directorate’s Website Click Here. How can I find out if the school where I volunteer, is involved in activities, that would prevent me from having a mentoring session with my student? What If I have Issues or Student Concerns and who do I contact ‘Mandatory Reporting’ is a term used to describe the legislative requirement for selected groups to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to government authorities. As a school volunteer, you are not required to report your concerns to the authorities, However should you find that your student shares information with you, or demonstrates behaviour that causes you concern, discuss your concerns with the classroom teacher or the School Coordinator. Sharing this information will enable the school staff to gather information which would be required if an incident/situation was to be reported to the authorities. Student disclosure is about seeking support and your response can have a great impact on the young person’s ability to seek further help and recover from the trauma. How Am I Placed in a School? The SVPACT Mentor Coordinator will assist you to find a suitable placement that is located near to your home. Prior to meeting with the Coordinator you should give some thought to the following questions: Do you need to have experience as a teacher or assistant to be an effective volunteer mentor? No. You just need to be reliable, caring and prepared to make a commitment of at least one hour per week, to meet with a student at their school. We want you to commit for at least two school terms. The impact of your efforts increases as you have more interaction with your student. Your role is not to teach or to assist the teacher. Your role is to build a relationship with a student, so that they gain confidence and develop skills and strategies, to help them to succeed at school. What sort of things will I be doing with the student at their school? In some ACT schools our school volunteers work in a group setting, with other volunteers, to guide students to make a Meccano model of their choice. In other schools the school volunteer may be working with a student to improve their reading or their numeracy skills. Sometimes, teachers have specific tasks that they want the students to work on with their volunteer. In all cases the main focus of the activity is to build a relationship with the volunteer and to improve the student’s confidence and enjoyment at school. What training does SVPACT provide? All volunteers are expected to attend an initial Mentor Orientation Seminar to meet with other volunteers and to find out how this program operates. During the year other opportunities to network with other mentors and to find out more about helping students to improve their skills and self-confidence are offered. We have experts in literacy, numeracy, school psychologists and others who are willing to come and answer questions from volunteer mentors at these seminars. Click Here for the next Seminar. I've been a volunteer for a number of years, do I need to have refresher training? We encourage our mentors to get together on a regular basis to share ideas and strategies and enable networking to occur. We also host training events with experts in their field. We encourage our mentors to attend these events as often as they can. Can I choose a preferred gender to mentor? Preferences will always be taken into consideration when matching mentors and students. However, it is the school that selects the student who is needing a mentor. Can I Volunteer at more than one school? Yes, you can volunteer in more than 1 school as several mentors do. We strongly advise to start in one school an expand from the after you have gained experience as a Mentor. I have applied to become a volunteer, how long before I can expect to hear back? There are several steps involved. It can take up to six weeks for the Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card to be provided. We suggest that you submit your application to become a volunteer with us at the same time as you apply for the WWVP card. Once your application has been received your referees will be contacted. This process may take a few days. Once you have your WWVP card you need to contact us so that we can start the next part of the process. I have applied to become a volunteer mentor. What if I am unable to attend the next Mentor Orientation Seminar? Two seminars are held each year – one at the start of semester one and the second at the start of semester two. If you cannot attend the first seminar you must attend the second one. Are volunteers refunded out of pocket expenses? No. Our program is totally volunteer based. We have no funds to support any of our volunteers Do I need to be a permanent resident in Australia to volunteer with SVPACT? No. However, you do need to be an effective communicator in the English language. What if I want to go on holiday whilst volunteering? Most of our volunteers are retirees and we know that they enjoy travelling. Our program operates in school terms so if it is possible to take holidays during school holidays that is ideal. However, once you have established a relationship with the student that you are mentoring it is not a problem is you let them know that you will be away for a few weeks travelling. Please let the SVPACT Coordinator, your School Coordinator and the student that you work with, know in advance. Why does SVPACT undertake such extensive screening of its volunteers? Are volunteer mentors covered by SVPACT insurance? Yes, SVPACT provides public liability and personal accident insurance cover for all volunteer mentors. How can I send in my application form There are a number of options to send in your application form.
