The Effects of Paid Volunteerism on Peer-Mentoring Educational Initiatives: A Case Study of the Top-Up Programme*

Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Daniel Doh

(School of Arts & Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia)

Abstract: Volunteerism provides benefits to both the volunteer — skills attainment, employment openings and fulfilment — and the host institution. However, in recent times, the sustainability of volunteerism appears to be waning — people seem to be losing interest. Situated within the framework of the social exchange theory, this paper discusses the effects of a paid volunteerism strategy on the outcomes of the Top-Up Programme, a peer-mentoring initiative aimed at improving retention and educational outcomes for domestic African undergraduate students at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. Based on our experience, we argue that paid volunteerism achieves good outcomes for a results-driven targeted educational programme. exchange theory, volunteerism

Key words: African-Australian students, paid volunteerism, result-based educational programmes, social
exchange theory, volunteerism