Future Foundations is heavily reliant on the work of mentors who provide their time and invaluable experience to our programs on a voluntary level. The mentors make a profound difference on the lives of the program participants and help them through any barriers they face during the program.
The participants are aged between 9 and 13 and come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They develop new skills in creative areas of their choice as well as getting training in resilience, self-esteem, communication skills, setting goals and achieving results, which the mentors contribute to enormously.
Our community programs need both creative and personal mentors to run the programs successfully. For more of a breakdown, check out: what’s involved in being a mentor. If you share our vision to help young people, please fill out a 2024 Mentor Application!
NOTE: to participate in the program you need to possess a valid Volunteer Working with Children Check and Volunteer Police Check, however you are able to complete the application process without these and obtain them at a later date. Please get your application in to be considered, as waiting for these can take some time.
2024 Program
We are currently recruiting mentors for our 2024 Program, which is anticipated to start in July and run to the beginning of November.
Your duties will include attendance at our initial mentor and mentee inductions and a Cultural Tour/Art Excursion in Melbourne’s CBD. This will be followed by creative workshops every Saturday morning from 10:00AM – 1:00PM at either Lalor East Primary School or Noble Park Primary School, where your duties will be to work with your assigned Mentee. At the workshops, you should share your artistic/creative knowledge and experience, help the children with their creative concept and how to reach their artistic outcome (what is the best way, introduce them to new skills, media, resources etc.).
Vital Arts Project (2022-2025)
Future Foundations will be partnering with RMIT and Australia Council for the Arts, over a 3 year research project called Vital Arts. The focus is to build micro-credentials that recognise the employable skills developed through youth arts activities
“Micro-creds are a fairly recent, digitally enabled approach to the accreditation of skills and training outcomes. They certify that learners have developed specific skills and knowledge through short courses of study or training. Once completed, learners are awarded a digital badge, which certifies the skills learnt. Digital badges can then be shared across a variety of platforms to notify potential employers of their skills and experience.”
The research project itself is aimed at determining exactly how the micro-creds are going to work. So the team will be working with people from the selected organisations (one of them being Future Foundations), to find out exactly what they need from the project. As the Vital Arts project progresses, creds will be awarded to suit the needs of industry and education providers.
The project’s aim currently, is to make the micro-creds stackable. For example, young people involved might be able to work towards a few different creds that might then equate to 1 university class. Participants could then use the micro-creds to demonstrate skills to help them gain entry into higher education, or industry depending on their own goals.
Creative mentors
The purpose of the Future Foundations community program is to develop the artistic and personal skills of young disadvantaged people. Creative mentors help run group workshops, which guide the participants towards completing an art piece for a community public art exhibition. The focus is on assisting the development and key learnings of the participants to guide them through to exhibiting their artistic endeavour.
Personal mentors
Personal mentors support the young people to ensure that they attend the workshops and overcome the obstacles they face when completing the project.
The focus is on developing the personal skills of the young person you are assigned to. Personal mentoring usually consists of weekly contact with the young person in the form of supervised face-to-face workshops over the period of the program. The mentors also accompany participants on one cultural tour, one exhibition and attend 42 hours of creative workshops. Mentoring continues for a short period after to support the participants once the program has finished.
All mentors are required to complete an application form and have a current/valid Working with Children Check.
Benefits of being a mentor
The program provides many benefits to our mentors by:
- Assisting with leadership skills inside and outside of the workplace
- Participating in team building activities with the other mentors, helping you understand what it means to support your peers in difficult situations
- Actively developing listening, communication and coaching skills through formal training and workshops
- developing and strengthening an arts related or community based practice by co-sharing and cross skilling
- Assisting in the personal development of yourself and the mentee through participating in an integrated creative program
The skills gained through the program are valuable in their adaptability to all life’s experiences, through interactions with peers and colleagues, problem solving, through to diffusing difficult situations, communication and interactions with others, as well as strengthening your networks.
Testimonials from past mentors
“My involvement with Future Foundations was multifaceted. It was inspiring to watch the children grow gradually from timid, wary and excluding, to interested, inspired and enthusiastically engaging with each other and mentors through to confidently approaching their Federation Square exhibits; the culmination of many months of work.”
Christine Cummins – Creative mentor, 2013 pilot program
Watch this interview with Ralph, one of our mentors, for first-hand information on what means to work with Future Foundations and his testimonial below:
“The opportunity to make a real difference in the life of a young person is such a privilege – words can hardly convey the immense feeling of joy and personal fulfillment one experiences in helping a young person develop additional life skills such as confidence, resilience and self-belief, whilst at the same time honing their individual artistic talent and flair. Future Foundations makes a real difference in the lives of the children who are part of the program – a difference that not only benefits the child, but benefits their family, school, community and the world we live in. I can’t think of a better way than to have spent my time in somehow helping to be a part of that difference.”
Ralph Ferguson, Partner, KPMG – Personal mentor, 2013 pilot program