The JAM Project offers young girls an opportunity to be matched with a female mentor for a period of 12 months, helping guide them through a formative period of their lives.
During that time the ‘buddy’ and the young girl meet regularly and discuss topics of interest, from school issues and dilemmas to navigating friendships and building self-esteem and resilience. The mentors receive extensive training and they undertake professional development and ongoing group sessions as part of their involvement. In return young girls benefit from having a young, trained, compassionate and non-judgemental mentor who can help them navigate life’s challenges.
In the first training session in 2019, buddies started learning what tools they can use to be active listeners, as well as understanding what it takes to be a positive role model for young girls.
After that the buddies, girls and their parents met for the first time, getting to know each other and building a relationship for the future. (Girls participating in the program in 2019 are pictured above).
Jam Project is part-funded by Gandel Foundation and delivered by the National Council of Jewish Women – Victoria.