ReachOut!'s Youth Project

Kaitllene designing a t-shirt in a fashion workshop

Reachout! Junior Mentors Programme is a scheme aimed at young people aged 15 - 16 that runs alongside ReachOut!’s Summer Programme. Thirty young people applied to be mentors.
The mentors could apply to be Teaching Assistants. They assist teachers and coaches in the planning of the lessons and the teaching of the booster classes in maths, English and science as well as sports.
The young people can also apply to be business mentors. The business mentors plan and prepare a tuck shop. The profit from which will go towards an excursion at the end of summer for the junior mentor team. The business mentors also plan events like the ceremony at the end of the Summer Programme including the talent show.

In the afternoons the young people often attend trips, some are for fun like ice skating and bowling, while others are for skills-building like visits to businesses.
Jack Bond, the senior mentor in charge of junior mentors programme, believes that the programme benefits the young children in the summer programme as the junior mentors provide positive role models; ‘they have a better understanding of them since they’re closer to their age and most of them go to the same school so they know each other and talk to each other’. Many of the Junior Mentors have been themselves attending the Summer Programme for years.

Kenneth is "wowed" by Jack!

The Junior Mentors Programme provides an environment that teaches the young people about helping others, working as a team, communication skills and commitment to a project. Most of the junior mentors believe that this opportunity is helping them grow as young people since they are doing something positive with their summer. Declan Farhe, 16, a sports mentor, thinks that the programme is a good way to spend your summer; ‘you’re not just wasting summer, you’re doing something good with it.’

Reachout! rely on volunteers to help it run successfully and by volunteering the junior mentors are gaining work experience as well contributing to their community. This is helping them prepare their CVs. As well as volunteering, the junior mentors are also juggling revision and are anxiously waiting for their GCSE results. This is a great example of young people keeping busy and active, something which seems to be key with the recent concerns about youth in the community.
Kaitllene Koranteng,15