Youth mentors, what we are and why we do it?
Youth mentors often start out as very helpful, motivated participants who come back to help out on courses and support participants and staff. As a youth mentor you are given training which is relaxed, goes at your pace and gives you chance to increase skills you have already learnt and some more in depth training which allows you to help run sessions such as fire building, tarp set up and nature connection. Mentors often have an amount of responsibility such as helping support management of the store room, supporting staff with programme planning and delivery and helping participants with kit, knots and other aspects of the course. As a mentor, we get to represent the voices of all the young people - from basic things like what one likes to eat for lunch so that is included as an option, to designing project concepts and briefs for fundraising.
Being a mentor can be really fun, you get the chance to meet new people, make friends and learn something new everyday.
- Helps boost your mood, and has a positive impact on your wellbeing
- Builds resilience
- Can help with social anxiety
- Builds confidence (helping people is very rewarding)
- Learn to work in a team
- Learn to run sessions like fire making!
Learn transferable skills like
- Organisation and time management
- Empathy and compassion
- Team work
- Leading groups
- Verbal communication
- Personal development
- Resilience and perseverance
- Independence
- Self awareness
- Health and safety (personal safety)
The best thing about mentoring with Wild Earth is how flexible it can be. It can vary from a few hours of volunteering to gaining leadership skills and taking on responsibility that becomes invaluable for your C.V., the team that supports you is great and feels like family!
If you are interested in helping others, building your skills and mentoring, please fill this form below.