Ten years of Impact: Eight in ten students show improved readiness to learn through in-school mentoring

Students at Leda Primary School are benefiting from the long-term commitment of volunteers through the Alcoa Foundation-supported EdConnect mentorship program, with recent analysis showing eight out of 10 mentored students returned to class calmer, more settled and with a renewed readiness to learn.

“Connecting Generations for School Success” celebrates 10 years this year, and since the program’s inception, the Alcoa Foundation has contributed more than AU$1million in funding. It currently supports 29 schools across the Peel region, providing one-on-one mentoring and learning support for students. In 2025 alone, more than 7,400 sessions were conducted with more than 2,000 students across Peel and nationally.

Sue and Richard Baldwin have been volunteering for EdConnect for 22 years and say even though classrooms may look different today, the needs are still the same.

“Sometimes the most important thing is simply being there for students who may need that extra support,” Ms Baldwin said. "Giving them time and attention, without judgment, lets them know they matter, and that space allows them to express themselves, reset, and feel heard.”

While classrooms and society have evolved, students’ core needs such as time, care, attention and feeling valued, have remained the same. Mr Baldwin has seen first-hand how trust can transform behaviour over time.

“There was one student who often struggled at school and would regularly go missing during recess,” Mr Baldwin said. “On one rainy day, he hid beneath a transportable classroom. I went and sat with him for a while and spoke quietly.”

“He didn’t say anything, but when the bell rang to return to class, I asked if he was joining me. He got up, followed me back inside, and remained settled and engaged for the rest of the day.”

Sustained funding plays an important role in enabling the program to continue delivering mentoring support to students and schools. EdConnect General Manager Carol Shannon said growing the program without Alcoa Foundation’s support would not have been possible.

“From its modest beginnings in 2016, supporting around 150 vulnerable young people at risk of disengaging from their education, the support from the Alcoa Foundation has been crucial to EdConnect’s growth.

In 2025, 111 volunteers were making positive impacts in 29 schools. More than 7,000 volunteer hours supported 2,040 students, who directly benefitted from having a volunteer in their classroom or supporting them one-on-one,” said Ms Shannon.

“The Baldwins’ contribution through their 22 years of EdConnect volunteering has been enormous, but the real impact on the hundreds of primary school age students is priceless.”

Funding from the Alcoa Foundation supports volunteer recruitment, training, coordination and program resourcing, enabling mentors to provide consistent support to students over time.

This year, the program is set to expand to additional schools in WA’s Peel region, with up to 8,250 mentoring sessions expected to support about 2,475 Australian students in 2026.

“Programs like EdConnect show the powerful impact that mentorship and community engagement can have on young people,” said Caroline Rossignol, President of the Alcoa Foundation. “By supporting initiatives that connect volunteers with students, we are helping create learning environments where young people feel supported, confident and ready to succeed in school and beyond.”