University-community engagement: mentoring in the Pasifika space

This paper reports on a mentoring program called BEAMS (Building Engagement and Aspirations through Mentoring in Schools) and its impact on local Pacific Island or Pasifika communities. The motivation for this paper stemmed from alarming statistics about retention and progression rates for Pasifika students enrolled at university and transition rates of Pasifika students into higher education studies and employment. A qualitative approach was adopted based on semi-structured interviews with community members and field notes, to contribute to our learnings from working with the Pasifika community and to assess the success of the program. Findings revealed that BEAMS Pasifika had a positive impact on both mentors and mentees, contributing positively to personal and professional growth. Comments from the students involved in the high-school mentoring program show the value of a cultural role model for high school students who do not consider higher education as a viable alternative. Further, the project highlighted the benefits of collaborative university-community partnerships on building community capacity and offered insights for how these partnerships can be improved for the future.