How to Empower Indigenous Students Through Mentoring

Mentoring is a transformative tool in the journey of personal and professional growth. For
Indigenous students in Australia, culturally safe and structured mentoring plays an even
greater role—bridging gaps caused by historical exclusion, systemic disadvantage, and
cultural disconnection.

Indigenous youth mentoring programs are not just about academic success; they empower
identity, leadership, confidence, and belonging. This article explores how mentoring can be
effectively used to empower Indigenous students across urban, regional, and remote
Australia.

Why Indigenous Mentoring Matters

Australia’s Indigenous youth face complex challenges across education, employment, health,
and social inclusion. While many programs address these issues from a service-delivery
standpoint, mentoring offers something more personal and long-lasting: connection.

The Value of Mentoring for Indigenous Youth:

• Building Trust and Belonging:
  Culturally sensitive mentors can create safe spaces
  where students feel heard, understood, and respected.
• Encouraging Aspirations:
  Many Indigenous students lack visible role models in
  academia or professional careers. Mentoring fills this gap.
• Cultural Identity and Pride:
  When mentors acknowledge and celebrate culture, it
  strengthens the student's sense of identity.
• Long-Term Relationships:
  Mentoring supports continuity, providing a stable
  relationship in the midst of life’s uncertainties.

Key Challenges Indigenous Students Face

Understanding the barriers is critical before designing or engaging in a mentoring program.

• Lower School Completion Rates:
  Indigenous students are statistically less likely to complete Year 12 compared to non-Indigenous peers.
• Disengagement from School:
  Experiences of racism, cultural insensitivity, and curriculum irrelevance lead many to disconnect.
• Lack of Representation:
  Few Indigenous role models exist in school leadership or tertiary environments.
• Geographical Isolation:
  Students from remote areas often feel disconnected when moving to urban settings for higher education.

Mentoring can be a bridge over these challenges, offering guidance, cultural affirmation, and
consistent emotional support.

What Makes Mentoring Effective for Indigenous Students?

Not all mentoring programs work equally well. The most successful models share several characteristics that specifically support Indigenous youth in Australia.

1. Cultural Competency

Mentors must understand Indigenous culture, community values, and the impacts of
colonisation. Cultural training is non-negotiable for non-Indigenous mentors.

2. Community Involvement

Programs developed with Indigenous communities—not for them—ensure relevance and
trust. Local elders, parents, and Indigenous educators should be involved in shaping
mentoring strategies.

3. Strengths-Based Approach

Instead of focusing on “fixing” deficits, mentors must highlight the strengths, knowledge, and
leadership potential within the student.

4. Consistency and Longevity

Short-term programs fail to build meaningful relationships. Successful mentoring spans
months, if not years, fostering real trust and impact.

5. Flexibility in Delivery

Face-to-face mentoring is ideal but not always feasible. Phone calls, online check-ins, and
culturally respectful communication methods can fill the gaps, especially in remote areas.

Types of Mentoring Programs for Indigenous Students

1. School-Based Mentoring

Mentors are matched with students at school, helping with academics, emotional support, and
navigating the school system.

2. Peer Mentoring

Older Indigenous students or alumni mentor younger students. This model offers shared lived
experience and cultural relevance.

3. Professional/Career Mentoring

Indigenous students are paired with professionals who guide them in their chosen field. This
is crucial for building pathways into higher education and employment.

4. Cultural Mentoring

Programs focused on reconnecting youth with elders, language, land, and tradition. This helps
combat cultural dislocation and builds strong identity foundations.

2. Community Involvement

Programs developed with Indigenous communities—not for them—ensure relevance and
trust. Local elders, parents, and Indigenous educators should be involved in shaping
mentoring strategies.

3. Strengths-Based Approach

Instead of focusing on “fixing” deficits, mentors must highlight the strengths, knowledge, and
leadership potential within the student.

4. Consistency and Longevity

Short-term programs fail to build meaningful relationships. Successful mentoring spans
months, if not years, fostering real trust and impact.

5. Flexibility in Delivery

Face-to-face mentoring is ideal but not always feasible. Phone calls, online check-ins, and
culturally respectful communication methods can fill the gaps, especially in remote areas.

Successful Mentoring Models in Australia

There are several mentoring initiatives in Australia that have made a measurable impact on
Indigenous youth.

1. The Johnathan Thurston Academy

This organisation supports Indigenous youth through mentoring, employability programs, and
leadership development. By using culturally empowering mentors and positive role models, it
promotes self-belief and motivation.

2. Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)

AIME matches university students with high school students to improve confidence and
school attendance. AIME’s creative, dynamic mentoring model has gained international
recognition.

3. Clontarf Foundation

Focused on young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, this program combines
mentoring with sport to keep students engaged in education and build life skills.

4. Deadly Sista Girlz

An initiative led by Aboriginal women, mentoring young girls through health education, life
skills, and cultural identity in a culturally safe space.

Building Your Own Mentoring Program: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you're an educator, community leader, or organisation looking to establish a mentoring program for Indigenous students, here’s how to begin:

Step 1: Engage the Community First

Speak with elders, parents, Indigenous youth, and local leaders. Their input should shape the
goals, values, and approach of your program.

Step 2: Recruit and Train Mentors

Choose mentors who either share cultural backgrounds or are deeply committed to cultural
learning. All mentors must undergo cultural awareness and trauma-informed training.

Step 3: Design with Flexibility

Ensure that mentoring sessions are flexible, respectful of cultural obligations, and adaptable
to remote or urban settings.

Step 4: Match with Purpose

Pair mentors and mentees based on shared interests, goals, and personalities—not just
logistics.

Step 5: Provide Ongoing Support

Mentors need supervision, peer debriefs, and feedback. Likewise, students should have the
opportunity to evaluate their experiences.

Step 6: Celebrate Progress

Recognise achievements publicly—whether it's completing Year 12, attending university, or
simply building confidence. Celebration builds community morale.

Mentor Qualities That Make a Difference

• Cultural Humility:
  Willing to listen, learn, and never assume.
• Reliability:
  Shows up when they say they will. Trust is built on consistency.
• Empathy:
  Understands the student’s journey, respects their silence as much as their
  voice.
• Encouragement:
  Instils confidence and celebrates growth, not just results.
• Listening Skills:
  Doesn’t rush to give advice—allows space for the student’s own
  voice to emerge.

Challenges in Delivering Indigenous Mentoring Programs

Despite best intentions, some programs fail due to a lack of preparation or cultural insight.

• One-size-fits-all Approaches:
  Ignoring local customs or cultural nuances can lead to disengagement.
• Short-Term Funding:
  Many programs lack longevity due to funding cuts or unclear impact metrics.
• Underrepresentation of Indigenous Mentors:
  There’s a need for more Indigenous mentors across all levels—especially women and professionals in leadership roles.

Overcoming these challenges requires policy commitment, consistent funding, and deeper partnerships with Indigenous organisations.

Policy and Government Role

Government and education providers must invest in Indigenous mentoring initiatives as part of a broader strategy for reconciliation and empowerment.

Key areas for support include:

• Long-term funding for Indigenous-led programs
• Training pipelines for Indigenous mentors
• Partnerships between schools, universities, and Indigenous communities
• Embedding mentoring into educational frameworks and support services

Mentoring is not a silver bullet—but when it’s done right, it can change the trajectory of a
young person’s life. For Indigenous students in Australia, mentoring can mean the difference
between feeling invisible and feeling seen. Between surviving and thriving.

Through culturally grounded, community-driven, and youth-focused mentoring, we can
dismantle barriers and build a future where Indigenous youth rise strong, confident, and
proud.

If we want to build an Australia where Indigenous students have equal access to opportunity
and identity, we must make mentoring not an exception—but a norm.