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The School Volunteer Programme (SVP) is an inter-generational initiative, where senior members of
the community help vulnerable children on a ïone-to-oneÍ basis in schools. The SVP provides a
caring environment, where children who are not performing satisfactorily with their studies are
encouraged and supported on a regular basis through ïgrandparentÍ friendships. The introduction of
a caring, non-threatening older person into the life of a child who is classified as being at educational
risk assists that child in establishing a more stable attitude towards peers and the general community.
The SVP has been awarded three separate Certificates of Merit from the Australian Institute of
Criminology in recognition of the outstanding success being achieved in schools. There are now more
than 1000 mentors helping and supporting about 2500 children in 80 schools throughout Western
Australia.
The paper describes the background of this highly-successful programme and elaborates its
administration, finance, training of mentors, cultural diversity and evaluation.
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About the
Author
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Fred Frank is the founder of the School Volunteer Programme, Fred recently retired
as the Programme's Director, but has not, by any means, gone into retirement. Fred
is now working on a new mentoring programme for gifted and talented students. He
has a business background, as a marketing manager for a national engineering
company, then as a long-time proprietor of Western Australia's oldest holiday resort,
Karribank Lodge. In 1994 he was Chair of the National Conference of the
Australian Association of Volunteering and, in the same year, launched SVP. Two
years later he introduced the programme into juvenile remand and detention
centres with significant, on-going success. Fred has a Human Services degree
(majoring in Gerentology) from Edith Cowan University.
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Contact Details
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11 Ferndown Retreat, 'The Springs', Mandurah, Western Australia 6210,
Tel. and Fax: +61 (0) 8 9582 0791
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