A Professional Mentoring Program for Australian First Nations People

A Professional Mentoring Program for Australian First Nations People

Indigenous peoples

Elizabeth Doery, Yin Paradies, Lata Satyen, John W. Toumbourou

Handbook of Professional Youth Mentoring

2026

Springer Nature

Book chapter

English

978032055804

Australia

Restricted Access

While previous research often emphasizes the negative impacts of colonization on First Nations People, the focus of this work was on highlighting cultural strengths and resilience, especially among youth facing the challenge of transitioning into adulthood. Despite existing theories like positive youth development, our understanding of positive development among ethnic minority groups, including First Nations youth, remains limited. We review factors associated with resilience and protective factors, suggesting strategies to enhance positive development. We summarize a cross-national study on Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Australia and the United States, emphasizing the protective effect of community engagement and volunteering. We then overview a pilot employment and mentoring program designed for First Nations People in Victoria, Australia, focusing on community aspirations, cultural engagement, and wellbeing outcomes. The program showed positive effects on goal attainment, employment, and cultural involvement. We conclude by discussing how our findings can be applied in mentoring programs, school curricula, and efforts within broader communities to promote positive development outcomes for young First Nations People throughout the world.

Jessica Alston