Schools Mental Health Menu
Mentors for Students – 1:1 and small group
Supported by

EdConnect Australia Mentors for students via the Schools Mental Health Menu
- EdConnect Australia is one of 56 evidence-based programs available to primary and secondary schools on the Mental Health Menu to enable students have access to mentors 1:1 or small groups for one-hour a week through the school year, focusing on social, emotional and academic support.
- Schools select students they identify are at risk of educational disengagement and work with EdConnect to make a mentoring match with a local volunteer.
- Intergenerational volunteers are recruited, screened, trained and matched, with ongoing support.
- Schools obtain parental consent, assign a school coordinator for the program and complete evaluations, with full support from EdConnect.
- EdConnect Australia is listed on the Schools Mental Health Menu under Tier 1: Positive Mental Health Promotion.
About our Program
We offer two types of mentoring programs: Small groups and Mentoring one-on-one, for one hour a week through the school year focusing on social, emotional and academic support.
Member schools receive a partnership agreement which outlines the services and/or programs our volunteers are there to help with.
Our volunteers are trained for the agreed role and commit their time accordingly. We want to get the best outcomes possible for your school and students, which mean that we have to be clear on the roles the volunteers have agreed to take on.

Benefits of our program include:
- Offering assistance to students at risk of educational disengagement.
- 1 hour a week of Mentor support per school week through the year.
- Providing a positive, older role model for students to interact with.
- Supporting students in a proactive and responsive manner, meeting student
needs. - Full support from a local EdConnect Liaison Officer.
Providers included on the Menu meet a range of criteria, including:
- evidence of program effectiveness in supporting student mental health and wellbeing outcomes
- alignment with department priorities
- ease of implementation by schools
- availability of providers
- cost-effectiveness.
– Victorian Government