SHINE offers both academic and pastoral support to children of inner city primary schools through the use of university student mentors. The mentor-mentee relationship is built through weekly one-hour mentoring sessions and creates a partnership in which all can learn, develop and succeed.
Through their weekly visits, SHINE Mentors provide each child with a reliable and consistent role model encouraging the development of self-esteem and confidence.
Having a mentor also encourages children to learn social skills, improved behaviour and provides additional academic support. As university students, mentors are excellent ambassadors for education and can discuss further and higher education opportunities.
The charity continually evaluates its mentoring programmes. On-going focus group work allows children to inform us of how they find the experience of having a mentor.
This has shown children benefit considerably from the academic and pastoral contributions a mentor makes, particularly showing successful friendships, improved confidence and aspirations and improved school attendance.
The programmes have been well received within the communities within which it works with local families and youth groups showing their support in addition to schools.