MATES – Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme
MATES provides selected school students who have the potential to achieve, but are at risk of underachievement, with a friendly university mentor/tutor, to raise levels of aspiration and achievement, and to provide the listening ear young people need.
MATES, which was established in New Zealand by Great Potentials and first piloted in 2002, has for the past decade demonstrated equity-promoting and effective outcomes.
Whilst there are a number of worthy youth mentoring programmes available in New Zealand, what differentiates MATES is the inclusion of tutoring. Research has shown that the combination of mentoring and tutoring increases academic achievement, raises aspirations, and enhances self-confidence for those at risk of underachieving.
MATES is unique and distinctive in New Zealand because:
- It is modelled on the successful Perach project
- It uses a combination of mentoring and tutoring components
- It uses young people exclusively as mentors and coordinators
- It pays mentors to help with their tertiary fees and costs
- It involves both schools and mentees’ families
- It provides a high level of support and supervision to the mentors
- It provides valuable professional development to coordinators
- It provides sound evaluation of the programme and its outcomes.
Based on the tremendous success of the MATES Senior programme, which enables students from low-decile schools to succeed in examinations and enter demanding University degree courses, Great Potentials established its MATES Junior programme in 2008.
In MATES Junior university students and teacher trainees mentor and tutor intermediate school students during the critically important transition from primary or intermediate to secondary school. Research indicates that well-targeted support at this stage is vital.
The MATES Office at the University of Auckland can be found in Room 412, Level 4 (Next to Craccum), Student Union Building, Alfred Street.
MATES News
AMP Foundation invests in MATES
Great Potentials is delighted to announce AMP Foundation as a Major Partner through its sponsorship of the MATES Senior Programme for 2012.
AMP Foundation’s investment has enabled tertiary students to continue to provide inspiration (through MATES Senior) to secondary students from low-decile Auckland schools.
AMP Foundation representative, Veronica Ruddenklau, noted that the Foundation strongly believed in the importance of MATES.
“AMP Foundation is proud to support the MATES programme, which is achieving great results for disadvantaged young people in Auckland.”
Great Potentials’ CEO, Dame Lesley Max says the sponsorship by AMP Foundation is a “great gift to the young people of Auckland and a wonderful start to the 2012 year.
“We are deeply grateful to AMP Foundation for recognising the importance and potential of MATES.”
How do I get involved?
If you would like to find out more about becoming a mentor, please email
MATES Schools 2013
Mates Senior
Alfriston College
Aorere College
Auckland Girls Grammar School
De La Salle College
Kelston Boys High School
One Tree Hill College
Onehunga High School
Massey High School
Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate
Southern Cross Senior School
Te Kura Maori o Nga Tapuwae
Mates Junior
Manurewa Intermediate School