February 13, 2019

AIME searching for UOW students to help change the world

International program on the hunt for new volunteer mentors in the Illawarra

AIME is on the lookout for the next generation of mentors who can make a difference in the lives of kids throughout the world.

Established at the University of Wollongong in 2008, AIME (the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) partners university students with local high school students with the aim of breaking down barriers to education and eliminating the cycle of disadvantage in Indigenous communities.

Over the past 15 years, the program has been rolled out at universities campuses across Australia, and in 2019, that will expand to the United States, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.

Lucy Marvell, Program Manager at UOW AIME, is on the search for UOW students who can get involved and become mentors in the Illawarra.

“Mentoring is an incredibly rewarding thing to be part of,” she said. “We want to find the new cohort of fun, engaging, and inspiring university students who will help to make a difference in the lives of Illawarra high school students.

“Being part of AIME offers personal and professional development and is also a great social experience because you get the chance to spend time with lots of likeminded students.”

Lucy has been involved with AIME for the past few years. Currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Indigenous Studies and Sustainable Development, Lucy was a Volunteer Mentor before becoming Program Manager.

“You are helping the students to grow and change, but you grow as well,” she said. “University students as get as much out of the program as the kids do. It is a two-way learning process.”

UOW students who are interested in become a volunteer mentor can apply via AIME’s website.

Mentors visit local high schools, listen to students, and provide them with support, fun, and friendship. AIME bridges the divide between university and high school, and through Program Days, help high school students see how they can use education to achieve their dreams.

For Lucy, once she signed up, there was no looking back.

“Once I started volunteering, I was hooked. AIME is designed to get you out of your comfort zone, it has an incredible vibe,” she said.

“I would never do a 9-5 job that wasn’t helping people.”

Brenden Newton, UOW AIME Centre Manager, and Lucy Marvell, UOW AIME Program Manager, having fun for AIME.