Educational Mentoring
Our mentoring project provided young refugees with weekly one-to-one support from a committed mentor. The young person met the same volunteer mentor every week for about an hour at a time. The pair worked together on homework, went over lesson content that the young person might not have fully understood and read together. Mentors shared study tips and helped their mentees explore ideas for their futures – discussing dreams and ambitions and the practical steps that might be needed to fulfil them. Strong bonds formed and support extended beyond school and studies.
During the year, participants discuss the activities they want to do in the holidays – activities included creative workshops, kayaking, social clubs and lessons in circus skills. We partnered with organisations who understood the trauma and challenges faced by migrant teenagers.
Young people told us that participation in the project improved their lives. They reported improved English proficiency and academic performance as well as heightened confidence and wellbeing, and reduced social isolation.
Sajeda's story: "She's helped me so much."
"School in London was very hard at the beginning. I didn't speak much English and I was bullied and laughed at by the other children. When I was in year 10, Salusbury World found me a mentor. She's so kind and she still comes every week to help me with my homework. She works through problems with me and doesn’t just give me the answer. She's helped me so much - I used to be afraid of speaking up in class but she encouraged me to ask and answer questions. She gives me confidence and now I'm in Year 11, I'm in higher sets. My mentor says, "everything is going to be fine".
In the holidays, I have volunteered with the little children and also been kayaking and horse-riding. It was so fun! Salusbury World helped me to make new friends. If I hadn’t come, I would have had to stay at home, and it would be so boring."
Sajeda's story: "She's helped me so much."
"School in London was very hard at the beginning. I didn't speak much English and I was bullied and laughed at by the other children. When I was in year 10, Salusbury World found me a mentor. She's so kind and she still comes every week to help me with my homework. She works through problems with me and doesn’t just give me the answer. She's helped me so much - I used to be afraid of speaking up in class but she encouraged me to ask and answer questions. She gives me confidence and now I'm in Year 11, I'm in higher sets. My mentor says, "everything is going to be fine".
