Why Mentoring in Ireland?

At this time of economic uncertainty, those from disadvantaged communities face an increased risk being left behind by the education system. Research has shown that:

Children from disadvantaged communities make up the majority of those who fail to benefit from the education system
‘Minority language children’ ... do consistently less well than their classmates

There is a need for extra educational support, to ensure that these children and young people are encouraged to remain in school and complete their education.

What is the Suas Mentoring Programme?

The Suas Mentoring Programme offers support to people at the margins of the education system. It has three aims:

Addressing Educational Disadvantage
Promoting Social Inclusion
Building Active Citizens

Suas College Societies work in partnership with local community organisations to run mentoring projects for children and young adults from under-resourced or marginalised groups.

In 2009, 287 people from marginalised and under-resourced communities benefitted from 15 Suas mentoring projects. 170 young people volunteered their time in these projects.

Who benefits from the Suas Mentoring Programme?

The programme works with three groups:

Children from designated disadvantaged schools
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Members of the Travelling Community

Mentoring Programmes are currently active in Dublin, Cork and Galway, and take the form of homework clubs, one-to-one English language tuition sessions, paired-reading classes, back-to-work projects and an after-school sports club.

Looking Forward

In the future, we expect that there will be a high need for programmes such as the Suas Mentoring Programme. Our key priorities are:

Maintain our existing programmes
Work with our partners to improve the benefits of existing programmes
Ensure programmes are sustainable in the long-term

Getting Involved

Mentoring Programmes are currently running in Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, National University of Ireland Galway and University College Cork. If you are in one of these colleges, and would like to become a mentor, please contact your college's Suas Society.

More Information

Click here to download a detailed overview of the Suas Mentoring Programme. For more information on the Suas Mentoring Programme, please contact us at 01-6621410.

Testimonials

“This was a great experience for all involved and is something I see great value in for the children of Ballymun.”

- Peter Doherty, Coordinator, The Aisling Project

“This project has helped between 20-30 children in our school to do their homework in a safe environment and know that they will start the next school day on a good footing”

– Teacher, O’Connell’s Primary School, Dublin

"Fantastic. I know volunteering can seem like a big commitment and it took me til 3rd year in college to make it but it was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done."

- Suas Mentor, Homework Club, Galway

07/05/10 STEP Programme visits UCC

The UCC Mentoring Programme came to an end last week with a UCC campus visit. 6 students from the STEP programme were joined by Suas mentors from all 3 UCC mentoring projects as well as members of the Suas society.

STEP stands for Support, Training and Enterprise Programme and has been running in Cork for over twenty years. It is designed for early school leavers between 17 and 25 who wish to further their education and aims to help young people develop their communication skills and assist them in the world of work. Suas volunteers help them work on their CV, communication and computer skills and assist them in their work experience applications.

Jayne Ronayne and 2 participants from STEP

The UCC mentoring projects will start up for the academic year in October 2010.

14/04/10 Suas Mentoring Programme receives €2000

The Suas Mentoring programme received €2000 from the AIB Better Ireland Awards 2010. The €10,000 prize money was divided between the three finalists of the Grafton Street AIB branch Awards. Well done to everyone who voted for us and thanks for all the hard work that went into promoting the cause!

Mentor article on volunteering with asylum seekers to be published

Hatch Hall is a residential centre for Asylum Seekers in Ireland who are living under the direct provision system. It can take years for people seeking asylum to move through the system and the process is is often criticized. Kate Ferguson, a Suas volunteer from Trinity College, volunteers every week in Hatch Hall and provides English Language support to asylum seekers. Her soon to be published article describes some of the people she has worked with, some of the stories she has heard, as well as a brief introduction to some of the facts and figures in relation to asylum seekers in Ireland. 5 Suas mentoring programmes work with asylum seekers in Ireland.
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