About GeeStar
ALL MENTORS ARE DBS CHECKED
I started GeeStar mentoring so we could address things I've experienced myself in schools and colleges as a student, as well as in the role of employee in various schools and pupil referral units throughout South London.
Due to restructuring and cut backs pupils are not getting enough personal attention or mentoring within the school system, mentoring staff are expected to cover more than one role and most have increased levels of paperwork. This environment leads to mentors being used as learning assistants in classrooms and stand in teachers, leaving them less time to conduct one to one or group mentoring sessions where they make the most difference to young people's lives.
These students often disclose sensitive information about bullying and threats of violence being made against them or other groups of pupils in these coaching sessions, so the loss of this time in schools can cause these students extra stress, depression violence and bullying.
GeeStar School Programme
We offer a range of mentoring interventions for both groups and individuals including:
- MUSIC MENTORING
- ACADEMIC SUPPORT MENTORING
- GANG PREVENTION (ASB and anger management)
- GENERIC PERSON-CENTRED MENTORING
- SPORTS MENTORING
Our program has proven most effective in the early stages when work is done first to support the student in class with the aim of observing the student, building a positive relationship and supporting the class teacher which allows our practitioners to provide a more bespoke, personalised service tailored to the young person specific learning and behavioural needs.
All full program details including our curriculum and bespoke student plan can be provided on request. Please contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your student’s specific needs.
During the pilot stage we intend to offer either half or full days.
Music making and citizenship
Young people participating in musical activity interact more and articulate themselves better with their parents/carers, and support workers or related professionals which leads to healthier relationships. This intervention can lead to increases in self-esteem and productivity and motivation for action for the young student culminating in better outcomes when working with anti-social behaviours or deeply entrenched gang attitudes.
For a young pupil whose life is extremely unsettled progress needs to be measured in a different way without lowering the level of expectations required to effect meaningful change for this particular group of young people.
Music activities have proven to be positively engaging and allowing the space for young people to articulate some of their more complex issues and barriers to progress.
Youth Music Mentors was developed in response to the Labour administration’s Respect Agenda, launched in 2006. The particular items from the Respect Agenda that Youth Music Mentors responded to were those relating to engaging children and young people in positive activities, improving attitudes to education, training and employment, and strengthening communities by increasing engagement and responsibility. Its engaging in strengthening the community and responsibility that are the most pertinent when measuring successful outcomes.
The Cultural Aspect
We also look to address some of the cultural issues that arise with young people from non English backgrounds, young people who struggle in the system for a variety of reasons and can easily become isolated and fall victim to gang culture.
We are very experienced in helping young people who have experienced difficulties with :
- RADICALISATION
- GROOMING
- SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
- ONLINE BULLYING
Mentoring Gang members With Ex Gang Members
Mentoring gang members is where we have had our greatest success in mentoring to date, I believe this due to the fact our mentors have some life experience in this area, by using many personal experiences you tend to form very strong bonds with the mentee. Young people spend a lot of time speaking with adults who they believe have no understanding of their modern lifestyles, when they meet adults who are in touch with youth culture they can become very open and will start to display their true qualities through the process of mentoring.
If you have no understanding of someone’s background you may have no understanding of how they will react in any given situation, they may behave in a manner deemed unacceptable due to cultural beliefs or religious reasons and this should be understood.
We mentor young people/ adults from all backgrounds and walks of life because we believe everyone should have a mentor, most successful people have had a mentor at some point or still have a mentor to help them become more successful than they already are. This takes on more importance when you are young and have lost your way having a mentor that you can relate to that has made good out of similar circumstances, because young people need to see people like themselves in prominent positions for their own self-esteem to rise.
The Mentoring Relationship
Video Links
Bernadette Sanchez
