L2P Leaner Driver Mentor Program (City of Greater Geelong)

When were you born?

I was born in late 2008, but I have both older and younger siblings spread across the state.

Who funds you?

I am funded by VicRoads

What kind of mentoring program are you?

One to One community based

Who are your young people

The young people are 16 – 21 and are experiencing challenges in getting 120 hours of supervised driving experience in order to get their license. They don’t have access to a car or a supervising driver.

What do you try to do for your young people?

I try to match young people with a volunteer from the community who takes on the role of their supervising driver and mentor and works with them to achieve their license.

Where do you operate?

I operate in the Geelong area. I have a car in both central Geelong and North Geelong that my mentors and mentees use and as I get older and bigger I plan on having another car somewhere along the Bellarine Peninsula. I also have siblings who are doing the same thing as me right across the state.

How many young people and mentors do you support right now?

I will have 38 matches by the end of the year which I am very excited about.

What’s so exciting about you?

I think probably the same things that make all mentor programs exciting; I am helping make a positive impact on the lives of young people, helping them achieve goals and build their confidence.

How are you different to other mentoring programs?

I suppose the fact that the activity is based around driving makes me different from most other programs.

Do you have any partners to help you out?

I have some fantastic partners including Geelong Community Telco, Alcoa, RoadSafe Barwon and Blood Toyota who have come on board to very generously help cover the cost of the program vehicle.

I also have a great partnership with the local Police who house the program vehicle at the Police station to ensure our mentors have flexible access and that the car is safe when not in use.

What have you learnt from your journey so far?

I have learnt so much and no doubt I will continue to learn as I am still quite young. Constant self reflection helps me grow and improve as a program.

I have also learnt that there are so many amazing people out there who want to give something back. I have met people who work full time, have children and lead very busy lives, but still find the opportunity to work with a young person to help them achieve their goals.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Sometimes I find it hard to meet the demand. There are so many young people who need support and not always enough mentors.

How have you dealt with this challenge?

I just keep on plugging away and sharing my story with the community, hoping that as the word spreads more people will want to get involved. So far, so good.

What’s the best thing you’ve done so far?

I have seen some wonderful outcomes in my short life. I have seen young people not only get their license but also build meaningful, trusting relationships with an adult who has had a really positive impact on their lives.

But it’s not just the young people who get something out of the program. I have had many mentors tell me how wonderful their experience in the program has been for them personally.