Celebrating International Youth Day with Raising Expectations

International Youth Day by United Nations is a powerful reminder of the energy, innovation, and potential of young people. 

This year, the Centre will highlight the work of our Raising Expectations program, which is dedicated to empowering care-experienced students from high school through to TAFE or university to realise their potential with support from its innovative peer mentoring programs.  

Our research has shown the educational expectations and outcomes for young people who are currently in care or have left out-of-home care are low. Few care leavers go on to higher education after leaving school, compared with 40 per cent of the general population aged 25-35. For many care leavers, there are significant social and economic barriers in getting to TAFE and university. It can be incredibly difficult, not because they aren’t capable, but because they lack the right support. Missing out on going to TAFE or university further excludes care leavers from opportunities to improve their employment prospects and earning potential.

Raising Expectations is changing this.

The peer mentoring programs developed through Raising Expectations are a proven and effective way of supporting people through periods of transition or times when they might be looking for guidance or connection. When young people come together to share their stories, challenges, and successes, they build up a resilient community that is both supportive and empowering. These connections support young people to take control of their futures and continue to make meaningful contributions to their communities.  

Youth supporting youth

For these reasons, peer mentoring is at the heart of what Raising Expectations does. By connecting out-of-home care experienced students with mentors who have faced similar challenges, the program helps to lay a strong foundation for lifelong skills, study-specific strategies, and healthy habit-building. Raising Expectations mentors become an invaluable connection for mentees, providing advice and sharing their own experiences.  They match mentors and mentees based on their study areas, interests, communication styles, and needs. 

Game Changers 

Game Changers is a flexible program, open to any Victorian TAFE or university student with an out-of-home care experience and is designed to fit in with work, study and anything in between! 

Level Up 

Level Up is the sister program of Game Changers. It supports Victorian care experienced young people aged 15-18 to remain engaged in their education, build their aspirations for future study, and connect with a mentor who’s already at TAFE or uni, and can help them get there too. 

For more information about peer mentoring, visit the Raising Expectations website.