EDUCATION SERVICES

For many of the young people in our units school life has been a sequence of negative experiences, often compounded by frequent changes of schools and absenteeism.

An education is of the utmost significance to these young people as their gateway to independent living.

At any one time, we estimate that half of these young people would not be attending school due to serial suspensions, school refusal or expulsion.

Marist Youth Care has a long history of commitment to the education of disadvantaged youth dating back to 1896, with the establishment of St Vincent's Boys Home. The core purpose of this venture was to prepare these young people for future productive and fulfilling lives.

Carrying on this tradition, Marist Youth Care formed an Education Division across the Agency in 2002. This small team continues to develop programs and initiatives to better the educational outcomes for our young people. Largely unfunded, it continues to seek support from the local community.

Marist Youth Care sees education as a priority area for future growth. We view education in its broadest sense. Believing that those who work most closely with the young people are their primary educators, Marist Youth Care provides a range of professional development programs to staff who work alongside the young people.

Marist Youth Care's Educational Programs are offered to our young people in residential care, and are also extended to working with schools in providing better programs to meet the needs of young people at risk.

Pete's Place

Pete's Place was established in 2003 with money donated by Peter Robinson, a member of the local community, who recognised the importance of education in giving hope to disadvantaged young people.

When our young people in Marist Youth Care programs are unable to attend school, they can participate in Pete's Place. This is a day program with the goal of transition back to school, TAFE or employment. Pete's Place offers courses in numeracy, literacy, art, craft, hospitality and basic construction. An experienced teacher liaises with schools and other educational institutions in how to best cater for the learning needs of the individual young people.

The Phoenix Project

This project develops a creative mainstream integration plan for our young people in residential care. In close collaboration with the school, an individual education plan is developed that responds to the needs of the young person. Improving the educational opportunities of our young people enhances their positive life outcomes.

Education of Staff

The life opportunities of our young people are greatly influenced by the quality of their relationships with their youth workers. The daily interactions between the carers and the young people provide invaluable and natural opportunities for learning independent skills. To this end a range of professional development courses are offered across the agency - Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Learning for Life, Computer Training, Restorative Justice in Residential Care.

Volunteers - Mentors/Tutors

Marist Youth Care education programmes are enhanced by support provided by volunteer mentors and tutors, who work with the young person at Pete's Place and sometimes in the young person's home.

A mentor is a guide, a friend, a listener and a role model. Unpaid and giving of their time willingly, a mentor is a constant and regular significant person in the life of a young person.

The Primary Role of a Mentor is to:

• Establish a positive, personal relationship with a young person
• Help a young person to develop, or begin to develop life skills
• Identify and recognise the young person's strengths
• Work with your young person to accomplish specific goals such as improved grades, time management, school attendance, self-esteem, and confidence
• Keep in mind that each mentor-young person match is unique and will result in unique experiences
• Some mentors, who have appropriate skills, work with the young people as Tutors and assist them with understanding schoolwork and completing homework