Trident High School is looking for five more volunteer mentors to support year 10 students through Project K, a Graham Dingle Foundation programme designed to build confidence and self-belief in young people.

Project K organiser Talei Bryant needs four women and one man to complete the mentoring team before the programme begins later this year.

“The faster I can get mentors, the better, but they don’t actually start till later,” Bryant said.

Project K is being run at Trident High School for the first time, making it the first Project K school in the Eastern Bay.

It aims to help students develop self-confidence and self-efficacy through a series of challenges over 14 months.

The programme is split into three phases. Students first spend 19 days in the Coromandel with the Hillary Outdoors Centre, where they take part in outdoor activities, goal setting, team building and reconnecting with nature.

They then return home for a three-day community challenge, where they learn more about their community while giving back through volunteer work. The final stage is 12 months of one-on-one mentoring.

“There is a lot for the young people, but it really helps them build that confidence,” Bryant said.

Bryant said students selected for Project K often began with low self-confidence and could be reluctant to ask for help.

Mentors are matched with students after three meet-and-greet sessions, allowing both students and mentors to decide who they connect with before the final pairings are made.

Bryant said she is looking for people who are patient, enjoy working with young people and want to pass on their knowledge.

“I’m not really looking at any specific age or anything like that, just anyone who’s got the time and wants to commit to supporting this young person for a year.”

Mentors meet with their student once a week, with activities depending on the student’s interests. They might go to the gym, get something to eat, go skateboarding or simply spend time talking together.

Every three months, all mentors and students also come together for a group activity organised and paid for by the Graham Dingle Foundation.

Before being matched, mentors complete police vetting and three training sessions, including online learning and an in-person workshop covering different scenarios and giving mentors the tools to support young people.

“It’s equipping the mentors with what to expect,” Bryant said.

She said one of the biggest rewards for mentors was watching a young person grow over the course of the programme.

“I think it’s really cool when you’ve mentored someone and you can see them slowly develop.”

Trident High School has signed on to run Project K for the next three years, with Bryant hoping it becomes a well-known programme in the Eastern Bay.

Anyone wanting to be a mentor can email [email protected].