Abstract:
The project was a collaboration between the University of Auckland and the Foundation for Youth Development. Stars is a Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) cross-age peer mentoring programme delivered across New Zealand. The Stars programme is designed to help Year 9 students make a successful transition into secondary school. It also aims to strengthen the sense of community within a school by bringing younger and older students together through peer mentoring. Peer Mentor outcomes have not been considered in previous evaluations of Stars and in the youth mentoring research literature, this project aimed to address this gap. The aims of the project were to evaluate the experiences and overall impact of Stars on Peer Mentors; investigate factors that are associated with and influence growth in PYD outcomes; and identify characteristics that distinguish returning mentors from other students. This research provides converging evidence that authentic, ongoing peer mentoring experiences (like those offered through Stars) can foster PYD gains for NZ youth. It discusses the gains for mentors and the challenges they may face. Also examined is the impact on outcomes of mentors’ level of commitment to the mentoring, the impact of time spent mentoring on academic achievement and the role of positive adult role models in retaining young people in service experiences.