Auckland YWCA- Future Leaders

Events

MENTOR TRAINING

The next Future Leaders mentor training is to be held on 13th March 2010, contact Kerry-Ann for details on 375 9248

News

On the 6th April 2009 two of our graduates were given key positions on the Auckland City Council’s Youth Council. It has 25 nominated members and is the voice of young people for the council, they give advice on issues that affect young people.

Catherine Tamaseu-Russell (2007 Graduate) - on the right was voted Chair Person and Nive Sharat Chandran (Graduate 2008) on the left was voted Deputy Chair. We are so proud to have supported and enabled these young women to become such great leaders within their communities.

This programme has been subject to regular reviews and research over the last six years and we have just received the report from our most extensive evaluation to date. We have gathered information on the efficacy of Future Leaders; its positive impace and long term outcomes for participants, their families, mentors and schools.

The evaluation has given us evidence of the wider and sustained impact Future Leaders participation is having in the broader family and community base.
Click here for the executive summary.

An award ceremony for the young women who are graduating from the Future Leaders Programme was held in December 2009. The Celebration Ceremony saw participation awards given to both students and mentors.

The presentation evening was held on Tuesday 7th July at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall. About 120 families, friends, mentors and supporters of the programme attended. Each school group made a presentation about young people using drugs and alcohol. We were entertained by hip hop performance group TMC and the Pacific Island poet Leitu Tufuga.

The judging panel awarded Highly Commended Certificates to Tamaki College and Auckland Girls Grammar. The winners of the new Forum Cup were Waitakere College with their video on the role of peer pressure and the consequences of saying yes or no to drugs at school.

One of the mentors is a photographer and she donated her time to take some great photos – more pics will be loaded onto the website soon.

The Future Leaders Coordinators have employed some great internet technology for feedback on the evening and are using “survey monkey” as a quick medium that gives them immediate tabulated results, the survey link was emailed to students and mentors.

The annual celebration ceremony is our way of recognising the progress and achievements of the students on the Future Leaders Programme. We honour and farewell the graduates after their four years with us and we give participation awards to mentors and other students on the programme.

The celebration ceremony was a warm hubbub of graduates, mentees, mentors, families and friends with a few special guests. Singers from Kelston and Tamaki entertained, our guest speaker Philippa Holmes and others reminded us about dreaming, perseverance, friendship, laughter, tears, failure and success and the power of learning in creating future leaders.

Awards gifted, poetic flower posies presented, dinner devoured, photos taken and it was back into the night. See you there next year!

We are grateful for the generosity of sponsors who donated prizes and gifts for the students and mentors; AMP Foundation, Elizabeth Arden, Cool Charm, YMCA, Hilton Hotel and Trelise Cooper.

Held on the 9th December in Kerikeri this was a celbration for all of the young women on the programme, their families, mentors and supporter.