Your support will transform lives!
MENTORING
Your Pathway to Purpose
"Being around such kind generally good people all the time really helps with how I now act around other people because I know what it is like to be looked after and treated like this.” - AJ
Youth Encounter's mentoring services provide high-engagement, therapeutic support tailored to the unique needs of each young person. Through one-on-one or small group, activity-based sessions, our mentors walk alongside rangatahi to strengthen identity, offer hope, build resilience, and cultivate purpose.
Trauma-Informed & Culturally Responsive: Grounded in trauma-informed practice and cultural responsiveness, we create a safe space for authentic growth.
Holistic Development: Our mentoring integrates values-based facilitation, life skills development, and goal setting into every journey.
Personalised Growth: Each participant receives a personalised plan, aligned with our Theory of Change and tracked through outcome indicators, ensuring their path to 'live life wide open' is uniquely their own.
Trusted Relationships: We focus on building strong, trusted relationships, empowering young people to overcome challenges, develop self-worth, and take confident steps toward their future.
Long-Term Transformation: This service is a key component in our commitment to long-term transformation—ensuring rangatahi are equipped to live life wide open.
"My experience for the first time MTB in Redwoods was amazing, me launching off jumps is like me launching into my future, me going fast is like time will fly sooner or later your dreams will come faster than you think and I would greatly love to thank Youth Encounter for giving me the opportunity to experience something new.” - Zion
What we offer
Poutama Mentoring
A transformative 52-hour one-on-one mentoring journey designed to empower young people to uncover their identity, grow in confidence, and live with purpose. Grounded in strong, supportive relationships, this high-engagement programme weaves cultural values and therapeutic insight into every session—supporting rangatahi to climb their own poutama (stairway of growth) towards living life wide open.
Outcome Indicators (How you'll Live Life Wide Open):
Whānau & Cultural Connection (Whakapapa & Hononga): Stronger, more meaningful relationships with whānau and a deeper understanding of whakapapa.
Values-Based Learning (Mātauranga) – Greater understanding of personal values and the ability to live authentically.
Motivation & Aspirations: Increased motivation towards goals and aspirations, with a forward-focused mindset for growth.
Life Skills & Personal Development: Improved ability to set and achieve goals, develop life skills, and acquire knowledge for personal growth.
Specialized Connect
Our Specialized Connect program is a tailored one-on-one or small group experience that uses engaging, activity-based sessions to explore each young person’s unique interests, identity, and aspirations. We're deeply committed to providing a preventative approach, breaking down barriers and creating an accepting environment where every young person can participate, gain confidence, and live life wide open.
Guided by trained facilitators, this values-based approach empowers rangatahi to reflect on and integrate their personal values, aligning them with real-world goals for authentic, lasting growth.
Our tailored sessions are designed to meet the specific needs of each participant, catering to individuals facing various situations, including:
Neurodiversity
Physical disabilities
Mental disorders
Those who need a confidence boost
CLICK HERE to find out more about our Specialized Connect service.
How to engage!
Make a referral (see button below) - we will assess needs and suitability and contact you
We will create a client plan for you to authorise and complete parent/caregiver consent
We will then engage with young person to deliver client plan
Safety
Our mentors have been carefully selected from the community, screened (including a criminal background check) to assess suitability and trained before commencing as mentors.
Youth Encounter’s activities are safety approved and include but not limited to, dirt bike riding, surfing, golf and mountain biking. Participant's will be safety briefed and instructed to safely participate in the activities. During the course of the mentoring program there will be opportunities to be part of our group gatherings, residential camps and work readiness development. We also suggest our therapy programme for all mentoring participants.
Click here to read more about how we are using dirt bikes to flowers in our mentoring to impact young people!
Kaupapa Māori Perspective
Youth Encounter's Theory of Change, from a Kaupapa Māori perspective, is embodied in the concept of the "poutama" or staircase, which represents a step-by-step framework guiding young people towards holistic development. This poutama approach is deeply rooted in Māori cultural values, emphasizing a progressive journey through stages of growth and learning. By integrating the principles of Te Whare Tapa Whā, the poutama ensures that each step addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the individual. This culturally resonant model not only supports the rangatahi immediate needs but also nurtures their identity, purpose, hope, and resilience. Through this structured pathway, Youth Encounter creates a supportive environment where young people can climb towards unleashing their potential, embodying the organization’s mission to empower them to Live Life Wide Open.
