Mentoring mentors: The Summer Programme Junior Mentors

During the ReachOut! Summer Programme another scheme has been working alongside it, the ReachOut! Junior Mentors scheme. The ReachOut! Junior Mentors are young people in years 10 -11, most have previously been involved with the Summer Programme when they were younger, and who volunteer and work alongside the senior mentors. This is the fourth year there has been Junior Mentors project.

There are three types of Junior Mentor; academic mentors who assist senior mentors with maths and English classes; sports mentors who assist during sports activities and finally the business and events mentors who are in charge of a lunchtime tuckshop and will help organise the award ceremony at the end of the Summer Programme.

A week before the Summer Programme started, the Junior Mentors  did a week's training where they took part in team building exercises , leadership and role model workshops, where visitors came to talk to them about being mentors and the skills needed.

The Junior Mentors have also been visiting places of business like the Opera Tavern, a restaurant near Covent Garden, where they learnt about restaurant management and being a chef. They have also visited UBS bank where they did mock job interviews and learnt tips on how to conduct themselves in an interview and Macquarie Bank where they learnt about crisis management in the work place.

The scheme so far has been considered successful. Glen, one of the senior mentors in charge of the junior mentor schemes called it ‘inspiring’.
Kaitlene Koranteng, Junior Mentor, year 11