Do you dream of creating a space for teens where they can:
Be open and honest with no judgement,
Develop important life skills
& Completely embrace the person they truly are within?
Do you want to:
Hold space for them to feel heard and valued,
Help them feel like they are enough,
& Share what you’ve learned with them?
Then you, my friend, are in the right place!
Imagine waking up each day knowing you are making a difference for young people in your community….
Is this is what you’re meant to be doing?
Are you drawn to working with youth?
Do you wish there were programs and mentors around to support you when you were a teen?
Do you believe in the power of self-development and awareness?
Are you feeling a calling, more and more, to hold a space for teens, empower them and nurture them?
Are you craving an opportunity to put your caring, giving spirit to use and tap into what you truly have to offer the world?
No matter your age, would you say you have learned a thing or two and feel that it’s your duty to share this with the next generation?
Perhaps you might even feel like everything has led you to this point (seemingly random jobs, those books you read, that course you took a while ago…it wasn’t for nothing!)
Would you like to go on this next journey with support around you?
Imagine waking up each day knowing you are making a difference for young people in your community….
Is this is what you’re meant to be doing?
Are you drawn to working with youth?
Do you wish there were programs and mentors around to support you when you were a teen?
Do you believe in the power of self-development and awareness?
Are you feeling a calling, more and more, to hold a space for teens, empower them and nurture them?
Are you craving an opportunity to put your caring, giving spirit to use and tap into what you truly have to offer the world?
No matter your age, would you say you have learned a thing or two and feel that it’s your duty to share this with the next generation?
Perhaps you might even feel like everything has led you to this point (seemingly random jobs, those books you read, that course you took a while ago…it wasn’t for nothing!)
Would you like to go on this next journey with support around you?
Perhaps you’d just like a bit of guidance and community. A bunch of tools and templates to make sure you create something that will really serve the young people you’re hoping to reach.
We’d love to help you.
Perhaps you’d just like a bit of guidance and community. A few TOOLS to make sure you create something that will really serve the young people you’re hoping to reach.
Perhaps you’re just ready for the next evolution of this important work and taking your career to the next level.
We’d love to help you.
MENTOR
[men-tawr]
Noun
1. A wise and trusted counsellor or teacher
2. An influential senior sponsor or supporter
Synonyms: Advisor, Coach, Guide, Instructor, Teacher, Trainer
Your age, background, experiences, how well your life is ‘together’ right now (or not!) – none of these things matter. Truly. No matter what, you’ll have a unique perspective and with the tools to hold an engaging, inclusive space, you’ll be in a great position to support young people. Yay!
MENTOR
[men-tawr]
Noun
1. A wise and trusted counsellor or teacher
2. An influential senior sponsor or supporter
Synonyms: Advisor, Coach, Guide, Instructor, Teacher, Trainer
Your age, background, experiences, how well your life is ‘together’ right now (or not!) – none of these things matter. Truly. No matter what, you’ll have a unique perspective and with the tools to hold an engaging, inclusive space, you’ll be in a great position to support young people. Yay!
“When I first come across Amanda’s work with young people, my heart was whispering me, you find the right mentor to learn with. Although life had other plans for me, so it took me another 4 years to finally start my Youth Mentor Training with her.
Despite the fact I was familiar with the field, and have done years of work with hundreds of children and adolescents, I listened to my heart and signed up for the training…It was one of the best decisions I made so far in my mentorship journey.
The training reflects the light Amanda carries: it is gentle, but deep, full of theoretical knowledge, as well as practical wisdom. Even for a person with a prior experience in the field, there is a lot to gain from this training first of all, a welcoming and professional community, and a sense of competence that follows graduation.”
*Winner, Best Program of the Year at the Beautiful You Coaching Awards, April 2017 🏆
Our Youth Mentor Training
is an award-winning* 6 month online course (and incredible community!) that will give you the tools and training to nurture, mentor and hold space for young people with support around you. You will learn how to connect with teens and tweens on their level, craft workshops and courses that could change their lives and do it in a way that supports your needs, strengths and lifestyle. The business of running programs for youth will also be covered, ensuring that you can reach and support as many bright young people as you want to, in a variety of formats (one-on-one, workshops, retreats, online, schools, etc!). You will gain the knowledge and tools to work with teens in an inclusive and nurturing way, mentor them YOUR way and run successful, heart-centred events for them based on your strengths and passions.
We are global leaders in supporting the people who support youth and are on a mission to ensure every young person has a mentor.
ALSO: Once you start, you are stuck with us (we provide lifetime access, update the training regularly and host new masterclasses for our alumni regularly). We are devoted to your success and are with you as you start to play right through to a thriving business.
Hundreds of people from all over the world, including Nigeria, China, Ireland, UK, France, Belgium, USA, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Oman, Tanzania, Vietnam, Spain, India, Dubai, Nepal and more have completed the Youth Mentor Training since it launched in 2016.
Let’s help teens together!
Our Youth Mentor Training
is an award-winning* 4 month online course (and incredible community!) that will give you the tools to nurture, mentor and hold space for young people with support around you.
You will gain the knowledge and tools to work with teens in an inclusive and nurturing way, mentor them YOUR way and run successful, heart-centred events for them based on your strengths and passions.
We are global leaders in supporting the people who support youth and are on a mission to ensure every young person has a mentor.
And once you start, you are stuck with us (we provide lifetime access and new masterclasses for our alumni regularly)!
*Winner, Best Program of the Year at the Beautiful You Coaching Awards, April 2017.
Hundreds of people from all over the world, including Nigeria, China, Ireland, UK, France, Belgium, USA, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Oman, Tanzania, Vietnam, Spain, India, Dubai, Nepal and more have completed the Youth Mentor Training since it launched in 2016.
Let’s help teens together!
“Your course has truly changed my life and I’m finally taking a leap of faith to live my true purpose. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“You’ll get the right tools to get you ready to support the young people you want to here. The content was very engaging and thoughtful and has had such a positive impact on my work!”
Fola is now an additional support coach for us, so you’ll get to meet her in the training.
Why is this work so important?
⚡️ Globally, one in six people are aged 10-19 years. That’s 1.2 BILLION young people – more than ever.
⚡️ Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated.
⚡️ Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents globally and 29.9% of young people have experienced suicidal ideation.
⚡️ Some of the impacts of COVID-19 already on young people include increased mental health or wellbeing concerns, identification of a lack of safe spaces and a lack of trusted relationships or someone to turn to.
[ Sources: World Health Organisation factsheet on adolescent mental health 2021; UK Youth Covid-19 Impact Report 2020; Journal of Adolescent Health ]
But you probably know all this already – that’s why you’re here! As mentors, we want to intervene BEFORE it gets to this point. We’re here to provide community and preventative programs that are mostly light, fun, practical and nurturing!
Young people are telling us that they are struggling like never before, especially during these unsettling times. As they try to find themselves and carve out their unique identity and place in the world they are faced with more scrutiny and comparisonitis than ever before. They have endless information and inspiration at their finger tips – they are connected yes, but can often be deeply disconnected from themselves, the people around them and the environment. They are growing up in an age when their online identity can sometimes feel more important than their ‘real life’ identity. It’s a time when they are feeling the weight of the world’s problems on their shoulders and need brave and nurturing spaces to feel heard and connected.
Now is the time for more support, connection and mentors to hold space for these young people. Now is the time for the village to come together to help support the child. And if we can help prevent some of the above concerns, all the better! We don’t have to have all the answers, we just need to be there.
But don’t just take our word for it. Two of the teens in our community shared what they most need from adults right now (it’s just 40 seconds long!):
“When someone just believes in you, it can increase your self worth but also increase your motivation to do well and to be well and to go well.”
“Having people to talk to who’ll actually listen and really be present…I find that’s a big thing for me.”
So, you want to work with young people?
Let’s see if this is the right place for you before we get into all the details!
- Do you want to learn how to hold an inclusive, brave space for young people?
- Are you open to unpacking your own experiences and investing in your own personal development?
- Do you want to learn how to actively listen and cheer on young people in an engaging and nurturing way?
- Have you worked with young people before and now want to do it YOUR way, away from the bureaucracy of other systems you might have been apart of before? OR you’ve never worked with young people and are open and curious about how to do it well?
- Do you dream of building your own business, creating spaces and programs that are personalised for the young people in your community?
Still with us? Great!
Who it’s for
First and foremost, you want to work with young people (tweens and/or teens).
And you want:
- To expand your understanding of young people and how to be a fantastic mentor to them
- To have an ever-growing toolkit of resources to support your teen and tween clients
- To create your own unique programs and offerings (we’ll help and provide feedback!)
- To grow a business (side-hustle or something that becomes your full-time thing) where you make all the decisions
- To grow something dynamic – you want to explore how to run different types of events, from 1:1 mentoring to retreats to school programs to workshops to circles etc so you have the option to grow a diverse business with multiple offerings and revenue streams down the track
- Proven frameworks, templates and alllll the things to make it easier to get started and grow
- Feedback, live calls together, someone you can email anytime you have a question and a HIGH-TOUCH EXPERIENCE
- Accountability AND understanding and flexibility
- Clarity on how you can do this and get your ideas into action (even if you’re not sure what the details will be yet)
- To get to it (NOT faff about for the next 5 years trying to figure things out on your own)
- Lifetime access to every future iteration of the training, regular alumni calls and a community you can tap into as you continue to test things out and grow
- To be part of a community with opportunities to grow, listed on our directory for referrals and multiple ways to facilitate and mentor teens within the Shine From Within community
Join us!
We start in March 2024 but join by Dec 15 2023 to save AU$1000 (!!) and you’ll receive a BUNCH of stuff to gently get ready between now and then, including a ticket to our online Youth Mentor Conference in Feb 2024.
THE SPECIFICS ~ 10 THINGS YOU’LL HAVE AT THE COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE:
- Clarity on what you, specifically, have to offer teens (we’re all different and there are multiple offerings you could create!).
- Understand the psychology of teens, what’s going on for them today and the responsibilities of holding a nurturing, inclusive space when working with this age group, within your own business or organisation (you’ll unpack privilege, learn about neuro-affirming spaces, etc!).
- Understand how to use your intuition, alongside practical structure, to guide your sessions.
- Be inspired by experts in the youth space and be guided through the process of creating your own curriculum and workshop content
- Access templates, example lesson plans and more so you don’t have to create everything from scratch.
- Be able to reach the teens who need you and build your credibility through targeted marketing strategies that work (and don’t cost a fortune!).
- Understand the business side of working with young people – insurances, policies, code of conduct and risk management.
- Get clear on how to price your programs, workshops and offerings (with practical worksheets, templates and personalised feedback).
- Knock the socks off your students and their parents/schools with connection, professionalism and fun!
- A pathway, map, support and guidance to start and grow a business supporting youth on your terms.
PROGRAM DELIVERY:
- Nine modules (plus bonuses + ever-growing alumni resources), a new one being delivered each fortnight, to support you to be a great mentor, develop YOUR OWN wonderful programs (school programs, retreats, workshops, camps, 1:1 series, online programs – we share how to do it allllll!) and build or grow your youth business.
- Lifetime access to 50+ Training Videos, PDF workbooks, editable worksheets and audios.
- Quizzes and worksheet submissions along the way for feedback and support to develop your own program.
- Fortnightly group coaching calls to connect and practice your skills at 2 different times to accommodate our students all over the world (recorded in case you can’t make either time).
- Specialist interviews with our panel of expert guest teachers (you’ll realise just how much you can do with youth!).
- 24/7 access to our dedicated membership portal.
- Private youth mentor community that you remain a part of long after you graduate.
- A behind-the-scenes look at our Shine From Within courses for teens and tweens.
- Done-for-you example templates, outlines and schools proposals.
- All delivered by Amanda and support mentors who are all very much still working in this space, supporting teens every day.
What exactly is covered?
Here’s a snapshot of some of the content we’ll cover in each module…
Before we dive deep into this work, let’s get to the heart of WHY you’re here.
💚 Get clear on WHY you want to work with youth
💚 Connect with what you specifically have to offer youth
💚 Identify your passions, strengths and experience that you’ll be able to tap into with your mentees so we can start to dream up magical, fun programs and supportive spaces!
What’s going on for adolescents (physically, emotionally, etc!) and our scope of practice as youth mentors.
💚 Understand common issues teens and tweens are facing
💚 The teen brain and what you can expect psychologically at different ages
💚 How to recognise triggers that will alert you to deeper issues so you can refer mentees on to specialists if necessary
💚 Legislation and scope of practice
Holding an inclusive space and facilitating discussions in groups or one-on-one.
💚 How to show up for ALL teens and hold an inclusive space (we’ll look specifically at gender diversity, accessibility including neuro-affirming spaces, and cultural background)
💚 Connect and engage authentically – how to introduce yourself and how much to share
💚 Understand and cater to different learning styles and personality types
Connection, engagement and encouraging self-exploration.
💚 Craft engaging content and understand group dynamics
💚 Active listening, building rapport, powerful solution-focussed questioning and using curiosity to foster a nurturing space for self-exploration for young people
💚 Going deeper: one-on-one coaching and mentoring techniques
SO. MANY. FUN. OPTIONS!
💚 What to consider with different types of events – circles, school programs and speaker opportunities, retreats, workshops, etc!
💚 The 6 stages to event success
💚 Behind-the-scenes look and example done-for-you outlines and checklists for all sorts of events
Curriculum and content development – let’s take action!
💚 Understanding the flow of workshops, embracing flexibility when delivering and how to frame and sequence effectively
💚 Finding your content and developing your curriculum
💚 You’ll be taking action steps throughout the course so far to now be ready to bring it all together into an outline and program to submit for personalised feedback and support.
Tried and tested strategies that work for this unique market.
💚 How to find and build a relationship with the folks who will pay you
💚 Pricing – a step-by-step guide and feedback
💚 PR, social media, outreach, networking, advertising, launching schedules, sales pages – allll the things you need to understand to market your youth business
Get started or review your business foundations.
💚 Getting your ducks in a row – business set up, systems and our recommended tools for smooth sailing
💚 Risk management and protecting your youth-focussed business
💚 Done-for-you resources: terms and conditions, waivers, policies, booking and confirmation process, etc.
How to grow the business and thrive.
💚 The first 6 months – what to focus on and how to keep building momentum
💚 Developing multiple income streams (products, online courses, variety of programs, etc)
💚 Figuring out how you work best so you can grow a sustainable youth-focussed business
A case study…
Hear how each module specifically supported Tanya in her youth-foucssed business.
Note: this is just how it supported ONE person. We have such a variety of folks who come into this training – those who have never worked with youth and those who have. Those who want to start a business and those who want to volunteer or just learn more for themselves.
You’ll get:
VIDEO LESSONS
50+ video lessons to guide you through everything you need to know, including transcripts and slides to learn your way.
PDF LESSONS
Each module contains a PDF workbook for you to download with your reading material, action steps and extra resources.
POWERFUL WORKSHEETS
Editable PDF worksheets are provided to guide you deeper into your learning and assist you in creating your own programs. Submit these as you go for feedback and encouragement.
ONLINE COMMUNITY
Private group to connect with other students 24/7, ask questions and support each other.
AUDIO LESSONS
Time poor? Audio files for each video training and interview are provided so that you can listen in the car, while out walking, etc.
GROUP COACHING CALLS
Fortnightly Zoom calls to answer any of your questions. These are held at two different times to suit most schedules and international time zones and are recorded so you can play back later.
GUEST TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Hear from the experts including psychologists, marketing and events specialists, counsellors, school teachers, youth motivational speakers, business coaches and more.
MEMBERS PORTAL
All of your lessons, bonuses, links, schedule and FAQs are in a central, purpose-built, members-only portal making your learning experience as smooth as possible. PLUS you can record your own notes or ask us questions directly from the portal.
GENTLE PROGRESSION
The course progresses and builds on previous modules so you can keep moving forward and take mini actions in a doable way.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Engage as little or as much as you like – be partnered up with a buddy, join us for every group call together and keep up with the module quizzes and worksheets to keep moving forward OR
take it at your own pace and know you have lifetime access.
DONE-FOR-YOU TEMPLATES
Save time by starting with our templates and examples so you can get set up faster.
LIFETIME ACCESS
Lifetime access means that if life gets in the way then you can jump back in whenever you like. We also invite you to join us again LIVE on any future rounds for free. We love seeing alumni pop in and refresh their skills!
Plus ++
These bonuses:
- ‘Swipe file’ of all the documents and templates you could need (refund policies, email templates, risk management assessment templates, increasing your prices script, camp/retreat medical forms, etc)
- School Proposal examples
- NEW youth-related masterclasses to up-skill regularly, e.g. How to create neuro-affirming environments for young people; Supporting young people with bullying; How to host first moon circles, etc
- NEW business masterclasses regularly, e.g. Creating your sponsorship proposal; Canva 101; The 5 mistakes youth mentors make in their first year of business, etc
- NEW resources regularly, including lesson plans and worksheets to use with your students
- Regular co-working and alumni check-in calls to keep momentum
+ connect in person with other mentors and learn from them:
We normally run at least one Youth Mentor Retreat per year (at an additional cost).
+ be supported to run your first workshop in our teen Online Academy!
After your first workshop, we PAY our certified youth mentors to run classes in our teen Online Academy, which provides a supportive space to get your class together and helps you build your own audience and community. They are such a lovely small group to start in.
Join Us!
Secure your place now ( join by December 15 2023 to save AU$1000) and then join us live in March 2024! Between now and March, you'll receive our Set Yourself Up for Success mini e-course and a ticket to our 2024 Youth Mentor Conference. Woo!
Your teachers
AMANDA ROOTSEY | FOUNDER, SHINE FROM WITHIN
Amanda has been teaching and presenting to teens for over 15 years and has built up an arsenal of qualifications over the years in business, events management, life coaching, youth mentoring, wellness, eating disorder prevention, child safety and more (and will keep on learning and sharing this with youth mentors! Current reading and training obsessions: supporting neuro-divergent youth and using new technologies in mentoring!).
Amanda worked for a number of youth personal development and leadership schools in her late teens and early twenties while at university but founded Shine From Within in 2012 after going through a 2 year battle with cancer. It was this life-changing experience that inspired her to re-evaluate her own life and feel called to provide her own nurturing space for young people, to share some of the important lessons she had learned during that experience and, well, because hanging with young people is FUN! For the past decade, Amanda and her small team have been dedicated to educating and holding space for hundreds of teens to truly shine, inside and out.
Some of Shine From Within’s events have included Mother-Daughter Evenings and Retreats, Nourish Workshops, Back 2 School Workshops, School-based programs for primary and high schools, their signature 5-day holiday courses and 8-week ‘night schools’ for teens, 2-day courses for tweens, Sisterhood Evenings, one-on-one mentoring (in person and via Skype/Zoom), being involved in youth camps and conferences and providing a range of workshops for not-for-profit community groups. Amanda still spends 6 – 10 hours a week working with teens, mostly in our Online Academy with a small group of teens from all over the world.
Amanda is a published author of Shine From Within; a teen’s guide to life (Hay House), has appeared on The Today Show (Channel 9), been mentioned as a ‘game-changer’ in The Collective magazine and has been featured in Peppermint Magazine, Cleo Magazine, Natural Health Magazine, The Australian, Inspired Coach Magazine and more. She’s recently been awarded 2022-2023 International Coach of the Year and her dedication to ethical, sustainable business has seen Shine From Within recently become certified as a B-Corp.
Why I created this program
I LOVE working with teens. But getting started on my own business with Shine From Within was tough. I felt alone at times and craved support from someone in the same industry. I reached out to a couple of women who I admired and looked up to in this industry but didn’t hear a response.
So when people started getting in touch with me after I had been building up Shine From Within for a few years, wanting to work with teens but unsure of where to start, wondering if they could do it and wanting to “pick my brain,” I just knew I had to find a way to support them. This course is the result of those initial ‘pick my brain’ chats and is evolving with every round of training to ensure you have the most up-to-date information and support. I truly believe that there can never be enough programs or support in the world for young people. If I can help you tap into your own values, strengths and passion to hold a space for teens that is uniquely yours, while also giving you all of the practical information I’ve learned along the way, then I’ve done my job (and thankfully that’s the feedback we get about this training time and time again!). It’s my dream to help more young people and I can’t do it without you – let’s help them together!
Your incredible Guest Teachers:
This is actually where the extra special GOLD is in this course! So much inspiration, motivation and education from a variety of incredible experts. Their stories, tips and experiences will help you see what’s truly possible in this space so you can implement and apply what’s relevant for you in your own youth mentor journey.
Julie Parker
CEO, Beautiful You Coaching Academy
Julie's bio
Julie Parker is the Founder of The Beautiful You Coaching Academy where she passionately trains heart centered people to become life coaches.
Prior to Julie’s extraordinary success as a coach and coach trainer, she spent almost 10 years as a social worker and counsellor with youth at risk and then moved into not-for-profit organisations, eventually becoming CEO of The Butterfly Foundation, who support Australians with eating disorders.
In her 2 guest teacher interviews (1 just wasn’t enough!), Julie shares powerful coaching and engagement techniques to empower young people, how to create a safe space to support them, what to do if you think someone is thinking about suicide, ‘levelling up’ in your business and so much more.
Grenita Brooks*
FOUNDER, International Mentoring Society
Grenita's bio
Grenita’s experience in the mentoring profession has prompted an urgency to create an umbrella of organizations that will serve youth from every walk of life at any age and stage of development.
Grenita’s passion for underprivileged and underserved youth has lead her to an Associates of Art’s degree with a focus on Early Childhood Development, a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, a Children’s Services Certification, and is nationally credentialed in nonprofit management. Additionally, she has a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Central Florida.
Grenita has a background in Child welfare and Case management and she’s currently employed with Brevard Public School’s where she is a school-based social worker at McNair Magnet Middle School; the middle school she attended as a teenager.
Grenita shared her experience of starting a non-profit in the youth sector, what she thinks all youth mentors MUST have and how she is growing her organization.
Christina Leggett
PSYCHOLOGIST, Little Window
Christina's bio
Christina is a Psychologist and co-founder of Little Window. She’s passionate about the worth we place upon ourselves, self-care, nurturing from within, Neuropsychotherapy, and an holistic approach to mental wellness.
Christina has worked in diverse settings such as in a mental health unit facilitating quality of life programs, a senior counsellor at a national counselling service working with children and young people and a family therapist working with children using expressive therapies.
Christina has been interviewed by New York Times, NBC television and Women’s Health Magazine for her research on relationships and technology.
Thania Siaw
PSYCHOLOGIST, Little Window
Thania's bio
Thania is a compassionate, creative, gentle and intentional holistic Psychologist, and the co-founder of Little Window. For over ten years she has worked with adults, adolescents, children and families in a variety of settings and roles including a child/adolescent and family therapist, group therapy program developer and facilitator, adult mental health psychologist, counselling and clinical supervisor, case manager, child psychologist, and lecturer at a leading training provider in counselling and community services.
Thania has published research in the area of stress, nightmares and personality, and has been interviewed on radio and television about cyber-bullying and coping with grief.
Thania and Christina share so much insight into the adolescent brain, how to soothe young people when they’re feeling anxious, common issues they see in their practice, how disconnection can show up in young people and triggers to watch out for that may indicate the need for additional support.
Josh Shipp*
BEST SELLING AUTHOR + YOUTH SPEAKER
Josh's bio
Josh, aka “The Teen Whisperer” is a former at-risk foster kid turned teen advocate. Hailing from the U.S. he’s the best-selling author of ‘The Teen’s Guide to World Domination,’ has spoken at Harvard, Stanford and MIT Universities and is a recognized teen expert for media outlets such as MTV, CNN, FOX, The New York Times and Good Morning America (oh and he’s been on Oprah).
His documentary TV series TEEN TROUBLE (A&E) followed his ground-breaking work with teens. He’s worked with groups of parents, educators & mental health professionals plus has spoken to more than TWO Million teens live.
His ultimate goal is to help as many young people as possible. He trains other speakers through ‘Youth Speaker University’ and his online mentoring program for teens ‘A Year of Awesomeness’ has a world-wide reach.
Mikhara Ramsing*
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR
Mikhara's bio
Mikhara Ramsing is a social entrepreneur from Brisbane, Australia. She runs two social enterprises in the human rights space: Miks Chai, which sells ethically sourced, environmentally sustainable delicious chai to create connection through storytelling; and Ethnic LGBT+, a national website providing a safe place for members of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) LGBTIQA+ community to share their stories.
She believes stories save lives and has travelled around Australia in a self-built tiny home connecting with rural youth. She has been nominated as the Young Australian of the Year QLD 2019, AFR Top 100 Women of Influence and was awarded a Westpac Social Change Fellowship enabling her to attend Harvard University and to work with LGBTIQA+ communities around the world.
In her guest teacher interview, Mikhara shares generously about sourcing funding, getting into schools, supporting youth in rural areas, collaborating with organisations, supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and more!
Johanna Parker
YOUTH COUNSELLOR + COACH
Jo's bio
Johanna is a life coach, speaker and counsellor through her beautiful business, Heart Sparks. She supports women and adolescents to confidently embrace their uniqueness and live incredible, purposeful lives.
Johanna spent 7 years in social work, counselling service coordination and leadership within the not-for-profit and government sectors. Now she spends her days being invited to speak in schools, at leadership camps, coaching and counselling her clients to create and sustain a life they love.
In Jo’s 2 guest teacher interviews (1 just wasn’t enough!), Jo shares about how she crafts her custom programs for youth organisations and schools, her tips for building rapport with students, how to build relationships in your local community, how to find your story and feel comfortable putting yourself out there and so much more.
Dr. Arne Rubinstein*
CEO, Rites of Passage Institute
Arne's bio
Dr Arne Rubinstein is an expert on adolescent development, with 30 years experience as a medical doctor, counsellor, mentor, speaker and workshop facilitator. His programs and seminars have been been attended by over 25,000 people globally and are designed to support boys to successfully make a safe, healthy transition to young men, with a particular focus on creating coming of age Rites of Passage.
In 2008, he was nominated for Australian of the Year for his groundbreaking work with youth.
In his guest teacher interview, Arne shares about how to facilitate rites of passage for young people, the power of stories in connecting and teaching, the differences between holding space for males and females, how to build a socially-responsible business and lots more.
Jane Bennett*
FOUNDER, A Celebration Day for Girls
Jane's bio
Jane is a researcher, writer, counsellor and educator who is passionate about natural fertility, menstrual wellbeing and holistic contraception. Her books and programs offer girls and women the means to understand and have a positive and empowered relationship with their bodies, their fertility and their cycles so that they are able to make informed choices and have these choices respected.
Jane is the founder of A Celebration Day for Girls, a workshop for girls aged 10-12 and their Mothers or carers, which she now trains facilitators to deliver all over the world.
In her guest teacher interview, Jane shares the importance of facilitating discussions around menarche with girls, simple and practical ways for parents to prepare their daughters for this transition and all about her programs for teen and tween girls, including how she gets the parents involved in the workshops.
Cameron Airen
CO-FOUNDER & CO-CEO, Feminist Coach Academy
Cam's bio
Cameron Airen (they/them) is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the Feminist Coach Academy and gender consultant.
Cam has a Masters degree in Anthropology & Social Change from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a B.A. with honors and an award of Excellence in Women & Gender Studies from Eckerd College. They are passionate about queer feminism with intersectional frameworks, and supporting helping professionals and entrepreneurs to have an inclusive feminist and social justice foundation.
Cam has a background in fitness training, running coaching, counselling, feminist coaching and has been a solo-entreprenuer for 14+ years. They’re also a professional astrologer.
In their guest teacher class, Cameron shared important tips on how we can ensure our work with youth is inclusive and we got to ask lots of questions around gender.
Michael Maidens*
LAUNCH SPECIALIST
Michael's bio
Michael Maidens empowers people with a unique, systematic approach to create a thriving business to support creating an amazing lifestyle. He brings a unique combination of performance psychology learnt as a former full time athlete, systematic approach from writing business software for 10 years, together with his most recent focus of reaching and impacting an audience online. He’s come up with the strategy for some of the biggest online launches in the world, naming Food Matters and Hay House as some of his top clients. Most importantly, he shares a way of marketing that’s authentic and deeply rooted in service.
We were so lucky to have Michael join us at one of our Youth Mentor retreats and we captured the magic in this bonus expert class!
Heather Yelland
FOUNDER, Green SuperCamp
Heather's bio
Heather is the Director of the Green SuperCamp Australia programme, creating personal leadership, academic acceleration and environmental awareness education for young people aged 10 to 18 years. Green SuperCamp has had 780 students through it’s doors over the last few years. She has formal training in Psychology, Business, Family and Systems Theory, and Arts and has been a ‘people and business’ specialist for over 25 years.
In this guest teacher interview, Heather shares some of the latest research on young people today, how to truly connect with them and give them permission to express themselves in all their glory, how to create ‘communities of care’ for young people, why your age (young or old) doesn’t matter when it comes to working with youth and lots more.
Annie Crowe*
AUTISTIC EMPOWERMENT COACH + DISABILITY ADVOCATE
Annie's bio
Annie (She/Her) is a proud Fat Autistic ADHD Lawyer and Autistic Empowerment Coach who is passionate about disability and health equity. She supports Autistic folx in self-advocating for their needs through education on disability rights and navigating systems (including health, education and employment).
In 2022, Annie successfully founded and set up a not-for-profit, Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA), that has singlehandedly put neurodivergent people on the map (finally) in the eating disorder sector to ensure our unique needs are met by the mental health system. EDNA helped develop the first National Eating Disorder Strategy in Australia that is due out in August 2023.
Annie spends her time supporting our neurodivergent community through systemic advocacy, self-advocacy coaching, global speaking engagements, and with her wonderful podcast Princess and the Pea – except when she’s burnt out, which she says is still far too often with a toddler to keep up with. Annie is a campaigner of radical acceptance and creating neurodiversity-affirming environments where our community can not only survive but thrive.
In this recording from our 2023 Youth Mentor Conference, Annie shares how we can create neuro-affirming environments for young people.
Rocky Biasi
FOUNDER, Human Connections
Rocky's bio
Rocky Biasi created the Accidental Counsellor Training in 2008 from his experience as a secondary high school teacher, school counsellor also in private practice for over 23 years. Since that time he has presented this training along with student wellbeing and mental health programs to over 10 thousand people across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.
Rocky presents a great framework for supporting a young person (or anyone!) through a challenging situation, helping us to be an ‘accidental counsellor’ when necessary.
Amy Efstathis*
PARTNERSHIPS + SPONSORSHIP EXPERT
Amy's bio
Amy Efstathis is a partnerships, fundraising, and marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in cause-focused organisations. She now supports small charities and businesses to get big results on a budget.
Amy’s session guides us through how we can determine the value and impact of our business (or future potential!) and steps us through how to create a partnership/sponsorship proposal.
Matt Kershaw
former CEO, yLead
Matt's bio
His first experience in 2002 of a yLead youth conference sparked a journey of transformation from a young introvert, terrified of public speaking… to a confident young leader with a desire to enrich the lives of others. In 2005, after a major health scare, Matt travelled to Tanzania and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was here that he decided it was time to conquer an even bigger mountain, leaving his university degree to join yLead full time. Since 2006, Matt has developed from a junior team member to one of the organisation’s key facilitators and CEO.
In his guest teacher interview, Matt shares about yLead’s school programs, conferences and overseas expeditions for teens. He generously shares lots about how to please the client (often schools), while delivering content in an engaging way for the teens. He also shares about how leadership training in schools is changing and the topics that schools are often looking for.
Kim Smith*
FOUNDER, Standing Strong
Kim's bio
Kim Smith is the founder of Standing Strong Wellness Clubs, a unique membership program, specially designed to work with parents and communities to help educate, motivate, and inspire children to live to their full potential. Endorsed by Oprah, Standing Strong provide evidence-based face-to-face programs, online wellness classes and community and have clubs opening up all over the world.
Kim has just been named winner of the 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Award for purpose & Social Enterprise WA, Australia.
In this guest teacher interview, Kim shares her very specific tips on getting started in business and protecting your ‘baby,’ how she got Oprah to endorse her business, how she advertises, and why she believes in the power of youth programs outside of school.
Stephanie Taylor*
NUTRITIONIST + SCHOOL CHAPLAIN
Stephanie's bio
Stephanie Taylor was 17 years old when four words changed her life, “Help Make Girls Smile.” The Gold Coast philanthropist was sitting in a leadership conference when the words came to her, shaping the decade to follow. Now 27, Steph has co-founded a school-based program ‘Radiance’, is a trained Public Health Nutritionist and School Chaplain. She is passionate about helping girls live out their fullness and see themselves in the healthy light of who they were created to be.
Her Radiance Girls program is now endorsed by Queensland’s leading chaplaincy body, SU QLD and is spreading nationwide into the hands of chaplains and youth workers.
In this interview, Steph kindly shares the nuts and bolts of how she created her curriculum, how she gets it into schools and facilitates it and all about the retreat she just ran for year 12 girls.
+ more!
Meet your youth mentor ‘mentor,’ Leah!
Leah Castle is a former social worker and a Certified Youth Mentor trained in positive body image, mental health and drug and alcohol prevention. She’s always learning, from Unpack Your Privilege to the latest social media strategies! She is passionate about women’s health and wellbeing.
Leah has been working for Shine From Within supporting our Youth Mentors as they do their training for over 5 years now, as well as supporting teens through her own holistic programs as she travels Australia in a caravan with her family.
Leah is a much-loved support in the training – always there to offer additional resources, experience and connection for our community. We know you’ll fall in love with her!
And another youth mentor ‘mentor,’ Fola!
Adefolashade Fadeyi (or Fola for short!) is a personal development expert for teens and the founder of Brighter Girls, Lagos Nigeria. She is a Certified Girl Empowerment Coach, Certified Youth Mentor and a Curriculum Developer with over 15 years of experience working with teen girls.
Her dream to work with girls started as a teen which led her to speaking to girls in secondary schools within her community. She went on to co-found a Girl organization in her university where she organized programs centered on faith and girl empowerment.
She has since continued to work with hundreds of girls in different capacities. She’s run teen workshops in churches and schools, created signature workshops, organised parenting conferences and served on parent and teachers association board. A sought after speaker, Fola was the speaker at the 2019 Valedictory Service at the British International School, Lagos.
“I hope to see girls live consciously from within. I want them to know there is enormous power within them and if they believed in themselves, commit to harnessing their uniqueness and potentials, they will become their best versions, living fulfilling lives; this is a key to changing Africa”.
Fola brings her enthusiasm and wisdom to some of our group coaching calls and the private forum as well as hosting additional calls for our African youth mentors.
What makes this program unique?
There is no other training like this. It’s not a TAFE course to become a youth worker or social worker, so if you’re looking to get a job in your local government agency, this isn’t the course for you. It’s also not a franchise where you get a specific program and script to deliver as Shine From Within. Instead it trains you to be a great mentor for teens and tweens AND guides you to create something unique for you (even though we DO provide a bunch of templates and examples to help you get started!).
You might focus on 1:1 mentoring, or create a school program or keynote speech, or an online program for teens, or a camp, or a retreat, or casual weekly circles, or life-skills workshops or a business that includes allll of the above. Your community and how you hold space will be unique and we support you to tap into, and build, your own confidence as well as tapping into your local community to create YOUR version of youth mentoring and grow your unique business with out-of-this-world amazing offerings for teens and tweens! It’s not for the faint hearted – it takes time to build a business and build a community. Let’s do it together!
Plus the lifetime access part means you get to STAY up-to-date on issues that are affecting teens in the moment, with people who are engaging daily with teens and tweens. The training is constantly being updated and our alumni get access to new masterclasses (youth and business) regularly. Woooo! AND you get the option to come and teach classes with our teens in the Online Academy too – ‘on the job’ training from the comfort of home #winning.
It’s all delivered online – every 2 weeks you’ll get access to the next module with video classes, workbooks, editable worksheets, a space to submit your questions and quizzes to make sure it’s sinking in! We encourage you to connect with each other in a private community and we email you regularly to check-in. We host live zoom calls together every second Tuesday at 2 different times so we can chat further as as cohort and connect (these are recorded for those who can’t make it). We’re here for you.
We’re also running what we like to call a ‘gentle business’ so we don’t mind if you get behind (take care of you – that’s why you’ve got lifetime access!) and we’ll often take a few days to get back to you if you email us. That’s just the way we roll as a very small team of part-time folks who are also neuro-divergent, carers, working from all over the world and blending this wonderful work with life, trying to find the balance.
Hear from some of our graduates
(we’re so ridiculously proud of them!)
One of our graduates, Karen Wightman teaches yoga and kids yoga teacher training in UK and Singapore. She shares what drew her to the Youth Mentor Training and what she got out of it.
One of our graduates, Eddie Tyquin is a primary school teacher turned youth mentor and the founder of Looking For Ladybird on the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia. She’s hit the ground running since graduating in mid-2021, leaving her full-time teaching role and now offering 1:1 mentoring, workshops and online programs.
One of our graduates, Mazoon Al Zadjali from the Sultanate of Oman. Mazoon has spoken at and participated in conferences and youth forums in Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Russia, USA, Lebanon, UK, Tunisia, Azerbaijan and Kenya and is the founder of many initiatives in Oman.
One of our graduates, Ali Collier is the founder of Energised Minds in Perth Australia. Ali runs holiday programs, one-off workshops and online classes to empower teens and tweens.
Meet Fola and hear a little about how she works with teens and their parents in Lagos, Nigeria. Fola supports our training too so you’ll get to meet Fola when you join us!
One of our graduates, Sarah Found helps girls find authentic confidence, inner strength and resiliency…..all from within. She supports teens, tweens and Moms with workshops in her home town in Canada, as well as in our Online Academy.
One of our graduates, Lissa Kapinga has run some programs for girls in Tanzania and also taught some classes for us in the Online Academy. Have a watch of her reflections straight after running a class with our teens. She has some lovely insights!
Our graduate Jo, with her sister Susie, run Grateful for Me on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia. Here they share with us a little about their journey at one of our Youth Mentor Retreats where they sat on an alumni panel.
One of our graduates, Sabine Mckenzie is the founder of Core Confidence in Perth Australia. Sabine is a keynote speaker on body image, provides prevention and body image workshops in schools and offers eating disorder support.
One of our graduates, Tanya Meessmann is the founder of Girl Shaped Flames! In the last 3.5yrs they’ve worked with over 3000 young people, parents and educators around Australia.
One of our graduates, Bec Peake is the founder of That Sunshine Vibe in South Australia. A former teacher who burned out, Bec now mentors about 15 students per week through a school (the students have a dedicated room where they then meet with Bec via Zoom for one-on-one mentoring) and her own private mentoring clients. Bec also facilitates lots of our sessions in the Online Academy.
One of our graduates, Peta Morton has just completed our latest round. She’s been volunteering with Raise Foundation in a school-based mentoring program and is busy getting her business up and running behind-the-scenes!
Some more kind words from around the globe…
The Shine From Within Youth Mentor Training Program is right for you if:
- You haven’t worked with youth before and would like to feel comfortable holding a space for them OR
- You have worked with youth in another capacity but would love to branch out to run your own personalised workshops and programs OR
- You work with adults already and would like to tailor your content to suit adolescents
- You are a kind soul, genuinely interested in supporting young people to be the best version of themselves
- You realise the great responsibility that comes with working with young people and are eager to ensure you do this the right way
- You have an open heart and willingness to learn new things, despite the qualifications you already have
- You believe in investing in your own personal development, growth and self-care
- You may feel a little scared but are willing to give this all you’ve got and put in the work
The Shine From Within Youth Mentor Training Program is not right for you if:
- You are not willing to put in the work and devote at least 2 hours per week to your studies and be on group coaching calls where possible to be the best youth mentor that you can be
- You want to support youth with serious health/mental health issues beyond the preventative space – you will need to invest much more time and money into a university degree for this
- You do not have patience for young people
- You already feel like you have a high level of skills and knowledge when it comes to mentoring youth and growing a business
- You are looking for detailed scripts to run Shine From Within programs – this course will give you the tools to create your own content.
- You just want a platform to talk, air your problems and share your views and opinions with young people (without considering their needs or providing a space for them to grow and develop).
Join Us!
Save AU$1000 by enrolling by December 15 2023.
Select your preferred package below and you’ll be taken to a booking form to select your preferred payment plan. All prices in Australian Dollars.
[+GST for Australian residents.]
Certification (early enrolment)
Become a certified Youth Mentor (most popular!)- Approx US$1600
- Normally AU$3500 (save $1000 by enrolling before Dec 15 2023)
- Weekly, monthly and extended 12 month payment options available (starting at AUD$210 per month)
- Includes all modules and bonuses
- Live training, starting Tuesday March 12th 2024
- Perfect for upskilling in your business, or to build a youth mentor business
- Assessment and feedback on each module (optional)
- Community of Youth Mentors to learn alongside and connect with long after you graduate
- Keep up-skilling for years to come with our regular alumni masterclasses
- Payment plan options available (once you click on ‘enrol now’)
- One-on-one coaching not included
Certification + 1:1 Coaching (early enrolment)
Become a certified Youth Mentor with 1:1 coaching- Approx US$2600
- Normally AU$5000 (save $1000 by enrolling before Dec 15 2023)
- Weekly, monthly and extended 12 month payment options available (starting at AUD$340 per month)
- Includes all modules and bonuses
- Live training, starting Tuesday March 12th 2024
- Perfect for upskilling in your business, or to build a youth mentor business
- Assessment and feedback on each module (optional)
- Community of Youth Mentors to learn alongside and connect with long after you graduate
- Keep up-skilling for years to come with our regular alumni masterclasses
- Payment plan options available (once you click on ‘enrol now’)
- 4 x 75 minute one-on-one coaching/consulting sessions with Amanda
If you’re looking for scholarship or Pay What You Can options, please have a look at our FAQs at the bottom of the page.
Why enrol early?
Enrol before Dec 15 2023 and you will:
- Save AU$1000! We usually offer this much value in early-bird bonuses (physical gifts in the mail, additional coaching, etc) but we’re going for a straight cash discount this time. Lucky for you! We’re doing this because we know every little bit helps at the moment for lots of folks AND these early payments are super helpful for us as we’ve expanded the training by 3 additional modules (and 2 extra months) to offer even more in depth and practical support so this will support the process of updates before we start in March. Win-win.
- Receive a free ticket to our online Youth Mentor Conference in Feb 2024 (valued at $145).
- Get our Set Yourself Up for Success mini e-course to gently prepare before we start in March (valued at $600).
What if it’s not for me?
If you start the training and realise it’s not for you within the first 2 modules, you’ll be able to exit the training and receive a partial refund. Full terms of enrolment are here.
“All of us have the ability to come into a room and to be an unwavering pillar of belief for a group of young people…that’s something we can choose for ourselves right before we step into a room and that alone, is a really powerful thing for a young person,” Jo Parker [Guest Teacher]
Frequently Asked Questions
When do we start? How much can I make? Is this an inclusive space? What if I can’t afford it? Click below to find out!
FAQs - click to open
Can I study the Shine From Within Youth Mentor Training online?
Yes! The entire course is delivered online, with optional in-person retreats (we try to run one once a year) where parts of are often filmed and shared with all youth mentors.
Do I attend 'classes' online or is it self-study?
It's a self-study course. All of the video lessons are provided in your dedicated member's portal so you can choose when you study. We provide a variety of formats so that if you prefer to listen to the lessons on your commute to work or you want to scan through the transcript, you can do that too/instead. The only live component are the live group coaching calls.
Is it compulsory to be on the live group coaching calls?
No. The group coaching calls will be recorded in case you can't attend them live. If you would like to be certified, it's expected that you'll attend at least 2 of the 7 calls, which are held at 10am and 7pm every second Tuesday AEST. The rest of the training is pre-recorded and a new module is delivered every two weeks. Download the schedule for this round here.
When does the course actually start?
Module 1 will be released on Tuesday 12th March 2024. Every 2 weeks a new module will be released and there will be an implementation/catch-up break half way through. If you'd like to get started on some of the content before this date (we know some folks are super eager!) we can give you early access but the live components won't start until March 2024. If you register in 2023, you'll also receive access to our Youth Mentor Conference sessions from previous years to dive into, a ticket for the 2024 Youth Mentor Conference and access to our Set Yourself Up for Success mini e-course before we start.
I'd love to do this training but am not in a position to afford it. Do you offer any financial support or scholarships?
We are committed to making this training accessible and in fact we recently extended the training and reduced the price! We did this because we know that these couple of years have been particularly challenging for many and we want to support more students. We also provide a Pay What You Can application process for those who are not in a position to afford the full rate and/or hold a marginalised identity. There are a limited number of places available for each round and you can complete the application form here. We don't ask you to share specifics about your identity or circumstances but encourage you to share whatever you feel is relevant. You then nominate how much you can afford to pay (note: you can also say $0 if that is true for you). Historically, the majority of these places have been given to those who live in emerging and developing economies or people with a marginalised identity.
Do you hold a safe, accessible and inclusive space?
We cannot of course guarantee a safe space as it's impossible to know what makes each person feel unsafe, or control what others do within the group. Holding a brave and inclusive space that minimises any harm is absolutely our highest and most valued intention. We have robust community guidelines in place to ensure minimum harm is done and ensure that everyone feels welcome. We have a global community of mentors from over 20 countries but it's still a white dominant space. As such we are continually learning as a team (with myself Amanda and our youth mentor 'mentor' Leah, engaging consultants and completing training on Unpacking Privilege, Whiteness at Work, etc). We also have additional support mentors - Adefolashade Fadeyi from Nigeria, who hosts regular catch ups with all of our mentors based in Africa as well as attending any group calls that she can, and Aruna Pant from Nepal, who has years of experience working in NGO's throughout the developing world and who also attends any group calls that she can. Both are active in our community as well and have helped us to bring this new iteration of the Youth Mentor Training to life. You can read about our commitment to social justice as an overall business over on our commitment page. If you'd also like to see our community guidelines, please email youthmentors@shinefromwithin.com.au.
Accessibility
The training is delivered in a neuro-affirming and accessible way for all sorts of needs. We can also personalise the level of support depending on what trainees tell us they need on their enrolment form. Every lesson is delivered in video (with English captions), audio and transcript format so trainees can access the materials in a way that best suits them and their style of learning and live-captioning is provided on our calls together. Video classes also have the option to adjust playback speed. Our member's portal and all PDF workbooks, transcripts and worksheets are compatible with screen readers for visually impaired trainees.
We hold a gentle space on our live calls together and encourage trainees to show up however they need to in the moment (video on/off, audio on/off, verbal/non-verbal, and to move around, fidget and come and go as they need in order to take care of themselves). These calls are recorded for trainees who prefer to watch them back in their own time. We provide regular reminders, structure and a variety of accountability options for trainees, while also providing life-time access so that there is plenty of flexibility for trainees to move through the training in a way that works for them.
If there's anything we can do to make navigating our space easier, we welcome you reaching out and have a spot on the booking form for you to let us know what learning or accessibility needs you'd like us to be aware of. Whilst it is a self-study, group training program we do provide a high level of personalised support via email for anyone who requires it.
Is this just for girls?
No. While our branding is quite pink (I can't help it - I love it! haha) the Youth Mentor Training is open to all genders. Equally, it is perfect for you whether you want to focus on running programs for girls, boys, non-binary, transgender and ANY young people, regardless of how they identify. We encourage our mentors to challenge the gender binary and ensure they are holding a safe and inclusive space for all genders, even if they want to focus on particular topics that are usually quite gender specific. Our experience at Shine From Within has been focussed mostly on young people who identify as girls (hence many of the photos and examples!) BUT we have experience with all gender expressions and have plenty of guest experts in the training who have more experience with other genders, as well as a masterclass with a gender consultant. If you identify as male and are wondering if this course is for you as a youth mentor, please do join us. Just know that 99% of mentors who have joined us so far do identify as female or non-binary. We'd all LOVE to have you though!
It's also part of our community guidelines that we don't make assumptions about gender in our community spaces (calls or the private group). So when you come into our space and post something or comment, we ask that you don't use terms such as, "Hey ladies," or "Hi guys!" or "Thanks girls."
You might come across some training videos or guest expert interviews in the course where I still talk about 'girls' - we're slowly updating everything to make it all gender neutral. It's a process, as is unlearning the gender binary! Something we can all work on together to ensure safe and inclusive spaces for the young people we support.
Will I be able to run Shine From Within programs at the end of the Youth Mentor Training?
No. This course will provide you with the tools and knowledge to create your own wonderful programs. A licensing program for people wanting to run Shine From Within programs, with all of our content, scripts, outlines, teacher tools, etc is in development and, at this stage, will be by invite-only to people who have completed this Youth Mentor Training certification and stand out. We try to be super generous though and you do receive lots of examples and lesson plans to help you create your own! If you are already skilled as a youth mentor/coach and have an established business but would love to purchase a program, check out our Tween Resource Pack here. It might be just what you're looking for.
I'm afraid that I'm too old or too young to work with young people. Is there an age-limit for your course?
No there is no age limit. We have met incredible youth presenters in their 60's and incredible youth presenters in their early 20's. Both have wonderful advantages and we'll help you hone in on authentic ways for you to personally connect with your students. So far our youth mentors range in age from 16 - 65.
Do you have a refund policy?
Yes! We have a 48hr cooling off period and a partial refund policy if you decide you'd like to withdraw before the end of Module 2. Please ensure you understand our complete terms and conditions before enrolling.
How much money can I make doing this work?
This is totally dependent on you, how you like to work, how big you want to grow it, your capacity, the youth you want to work with, the type of events you decide to create, the community you are in, etc. You can absolutely make money doing this and you should (otherwise you won't be doing it for long and the students who need you won't have anyone there to help them).
To give you an example and show you the scope, we charge $12 for a place at our Sisterhood Evenings and $1180 for a place in one of our week-long courses. There's usually at least one student in these week-long courses that's come along on a scholarship or has been supported through a community organisation. The more you get into this space, the more you realise how many ways you can get paid - you can support students at risk while still ensuring you can feed your family and you don't need to be a registered not-for-profit to find ways to access funding and sponsorship money for your business.
One of our guest teachers' charges $10,000 every time he speaks in a school (note: this is not the going rate to speak in a school so please don't expect this for yourself straight up!) - the sky is the limit and it all depends on YOU. Some of our mentors run their youth business more like a 'side-hustle' and some grow it to run regular events or have a full roster of 1:1 clients, or run quite big events a few times a year. One thing is for sure, it does take dedication, time and work to grow it to the point that it will sustain you so if you're willing to dive into this head-first, have patience (it takes time to build trust in your community and grow your business) and give it all you've got then I have no doubt you'll achieve whatever you want to achieve (whether that's a side-hustle or a fully-fledged empire!).
Every community and every person is so different so, once again, it's completely up to you and your circumstances. A part of this course is getting clear on what success means for you so you can start to map this out for yourself. If you're after a 'get rich quick' scheme, this is not the course for you. And while we provide the training, templates and guidance, only you can do the work and apply it to your unique context. We of course cannot guarantee you make any money by enrolling in this course.
I'm a school teacher and want to run your programs in our classroom. Is this for me?
Potentially, and we've had heaps of teachers join us, but probably not. This is not a school-based curriculum where you purchase the program and deliver it word-for-word in your school. If that's what you're looking for, let us know. We've got something else for you. We've had quite a few school teachers enrol in this program anyway as they are passionate about creating their own programs to run on the side, want to get out of the education system and work on their own (or even want to create a program to run in their school). A couple of schools have even paid for the training for their teachers, especially wellbeing coordinators. If you'd like to chat with us further about this and whether this is right for you, or to organise an invoice to be sent to your finance department, please email youthmentors@shinefromwithin.com.au
How many hours do I need to devote to my studies?
Approximately 2 - 5 hours of study per week is required to watch all of the training videos, complete the readings and do the worksheets.
I'm really busy and am afraid I'll get behind in my studies. Should I wait and book in later?
You are welcome to complete the course at your own pace. You will of course get the most benefit out of the program by keeping up with the modules as best you can so that you can ask relevant questions and get extra support during the coaching calls as we're going along. You are not required to submit your workbooks or complete the assessment in each module unless you'd like to become certified (for more information on the certification process, please see below). There is also an 'implementation period' half way through the program to catch up and start to implement some of your learnings (and enjoy some time off). As you have access to this program for the lifetime of the course, we welcome you joining us to re-do the course every time it opens up for enrolments so if you get behind, we'll happily keep you accountable to go through it a second time or third time!
What kind of certification will I have at the end?
You'll receive a certificate of completion once the course is completed highlighting that you've graduated from the Youth Mentor Training (including 60+ hours of training). If you're a life coach, this certificate can be recognised by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as hours towards credential renewal in the area of Resource Development. You'll be able to say you've graduated from the Youth Mentor Training or that you're a 'youth mentor' or similar.
To become a Certified Shine From Within Youth Mentor, and be able to say that you're a Certified Shine From Within Youth Mentor, you'll need to:
- Pass the quizzes in each module
- Submit your workbooks for each module
- Attend at least 2 live calls
- Create and deliver a 1hr workshop over Zoom in our Online Academy, with the support of our team (or provide evidence of equivalent)
- Have a 30 minute chat with our team
What are the benefits of becoming certified?
- You'll be listed in our new upcoming directory of Certified Youth Mentors
- You'll be eligible to run paid classes in our Online Academy
- You'll receive some Youth Mentor badge options to use in your marketing
- You'll be eligible to join our School Speaker platform (new in 2024).
If I select the certification option, do I have to do these final steps to become 'certified'?
No. You'll receive a certificate on completion at the end of the training. The assessment, workbooks, running a class in our Online Academy is all optional if you'd like to go the extra mile and be officially certified.
What are the in-person events and what if I can't attend them?
The in-person mastermind events and retreats that we occasional offer are optional, are open to all youth mentors (not just the current cohort) and are scheduled throughout the year. They are not specific to your cohort and are completely separate to the Youth Mentor Training.
Do the training days and retreats cost money to attend?
Yes, we charge for any in-person events so that we don't need to incorporate the cost of these days into the overall price of the training.
Haven’t answered all of your questions or you just want to share your ideas and see if this is the right fit for you?
Please email us directly on youthmentors@shinefromwithin.com.au to ask your question or book a 30 minute free enquiry call with Amanda here.
The numbers…
According to responses of our feedback survey…
%
Clarity
98% of participants who completed the Youth Mentor Training now have more clarity about how they’d like to work with young people.
%
Tools
99% of participants who completed the Youth Mentor Training now feel they have the tools they need to run their own programs.
%
Capable
96% of participants who completed the Youth Mentor Training now feel more capable holding a space for young people.
A few of them doing their thing…
Talks and workshops, teen entrepreneur markets, teen retreats, circles, creative sessions, mindfulness in schools, 1:1 sessions – so many fun ways to work with young people! Here’s a tiny glimpse of what some of our youth mentors get up to (and what you could do too!). A little note here too in case seeing this feels like a lot: social media does NOT have to be part of your marketing strategy – some of our mentors don’t do anything online or even have a website! We go through lots of ways you can find and support the young people who need your magic. 🙂
Join Us!
Save AU$1000 by enrolling before December 15 2023.
Select your preferred package below and you’ll be taken to a booking form to select your preferred payment plan. All prices in Australian Dollars.
[+GST for Australian residents.]
Certification (early enrolment)
Become a certified Youth Mentor (most popular!)- Approx US$1600
- Normally AU$3500 (save $1000 by enrolling before Dec 15 2023)
- Weekly, monthly and extended 12 month payment options available (starting at AUD$210 per month)
- Includes all modules and bonuses
- Live training, starting Tuesday March 12th 2024
- Perfect for upskilling in your business, or to build a youth mentor business
- Assessment and feedback on each module (optional)
- Community of Youth Mentors to learn alongside and connect with long after you graduate
- Keep up-skilling for years to come with our regular alumni masterclasses
- Payment plan options available (once you click on ‘enrol now’)
- One-on-one coaching not included
Certification + 1:1 Coaching (early enrolment)
Become a certified Youth Mentor with 1:1 coaching- Approx US$2600
- Normally AU$5000 (save $1000 by enrolling before Dec 15 2023)
- Weekly, monthly and extended 12 month payment options available (starting at AUD$340 per month)
- Includes all modules and bonuses
- Live training, starting Tuesday March 12th 2024
- Perfect for upskilling in your business, or to build a youth mentor business
- Assessment and feedback on each module (optional)
- Community of Youth Mentors to learn alongside and connect with long after you graduate
- Keep up-skilling for years to come with our regular alumni masterclasses
- Payment plan options available (once you click on ‘enrol now’)
- 4 x 75 minute one-on-one coaching/consulting sessions with Amanda
If you’re looking for scholarship or Pay What You Can options, please have a look at our FAQs.
Early-enrolment discount ends in:
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**Note: every image on this page was taken at our courses and events, thanks to our photographers: Emma Newby, Kailani Tomkins, Bayleigh Vedalago, Chloe Horder and Moriah Overell. Except for images of all of our wonderful guest experts, mentors and team, which have been provided.
If you haven’t found an answer to your question in the FAQs above or on this page, please email us directly on youthmentors@shinefromwithin.com.au to ask your question or book a time to have a call with Amanda here.
We can’t wait for you to join us!
We acknowledge and pay respects to the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we run our workshops and business.
Shine from Within welcomes students of all social, cultural, community and family backgrounds, and of all identities, and all abilities. Shine from Within is LGBTQIA+ friendly. Please get in touch if you have any questions or queries about this – info@shinefromwithin.com.au.
Shine From Within® and Shine On The Inside® are registered trademarks of Amanda Rootsey T/A Shine From Within ABN 79216354231
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