Media Release
1 September, 2014

Vodafone encourages youth health leaders to apply for fellowship

Experienced youth sector practitioners with strong leadership qualities are being encouraged to apply for a fellowship in youth health and development offered by the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation in association with SYHPANZ (Society of Youth Health Professionals Aotearoa New Zealand).

The Vodafone World of Difference Fellowship is a $90,000 year-long leadership development grant. In its fifth year, the fellowship enables a promising mid-career youth sector practitioner to undertake a sabbatical, with the aim of enhancing leadership capacity in the sector. One of the aims of the fellowship is to provide leadership so that more young people are engaged in meaningful learning.

Current Fellowship recipient, Pat Bullen, a lecturer in youth development at The University of Auckland, is part-way through her Fellowship year where she has examined youth mentoring models overseas.

In partnership with the New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network, Pat has begun to develop strategies to advance the sector through a number of initiatives including the establishment of more tertiary partnerships with community organisations. The aim is to ensure that all young people who are most in need have access to a mentor who is supported by a high-quality programme.

Pat says the Vodafone World of Difference Fellowship year has given her the opportunity to really explore some of the pressing issues facing the youth sector.

“The fellowship has been a truly amazing opportunity. It’s given me a unique insight in to how universities run community-based mentoring models overseas, and how we can successfully grow these initiatives to meet the needs of our rangatahi (youth).”

Developed in 2010, the Vodafone Foundation has supported four World of Difference Fellows looking into rural youth health needs, youth justice, youth governance and youth mentoring.

To find out more, visit http://foundation.vodafone.co.nz/fellowship. To apply, visit http://www.syhpanz.co.nz/page.php?pid=event&eid=48

Entries opened on 18th August 2014, and will close on 26 September 2014 at 5pm. The successful recipient can start between 1 January and 31 March, 2015.

ENDS

For enquiries please contact:

NOTES TO EDITORS
Application criteria

To apply you must:
• be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand;
• have a University degree (usually a Masters’ or the equivalent thereof, however, consideration may be given to candidates with a Bachelor's degree, depending on work experience);
• have proven leadership and experience in the youth health and development sector;
• have the support of an academic institution or employer to apply for the Fellowship;
• show significant promise as a leading practitioner; and have demonstrated expertise in youth health and development issues and have a track record of informing the sector through research, policy analysis or service delivery

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