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.

Joseph Wolfgramm from De La Salle College, now at University of Auckland

MAKING IT HAPPEN

"After a lifetime in education, including wonderful years as Principal of two secondary schools, I would consider MATES one of the highlights of my life. It is one of the best educational programmes I have ever been involved with. The results are just staggering, with university enrollments from the MATES schools at about three times the average for decile one to three schools."

Colin Prentice on his retirement as Schools Director, The University of Auckland

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:

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.

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.”

MATES Senior 2012

We are now seeking Mentors for MATES Senior for 2012. If you’d like to be a mentor, please complete the form below and email to to register your interest.

MATES Mentor application form

How do I get involved?

We are now seeking Mentors for MATES Senior for 2012. If you’d like to be a mentor, please email to register your interest.

If you’d like to become a MATES mentee, then ask your principal about becoming a participating school.

MATES Schools 2012

Mates Senior

To be confirmed

Mates Junior

Manurewa Intermediate School
Mansell Senior School (Papakura)

MATES RESULTS …

SEE HOW MATES MEASURES UP