The impact of motivated volunteerism on peer-mentoring educational programs : evidence from Western Australia

![CDATA[Volunteerism is a longstanding practice, known to provide benefits to both the volunteer—in terms of skills acquisition, employment opportunities and general life satisfaction—and the host institution. However, the sustainability of volunteerism is being questioned in the face of evidence that people seem to be losing interest. Within the context of social exchange theory, this paper discusses the impact of motivated volunteerism on the outcomes of a peer-mentoring programme aimed at improving retention and educational outcomes for domestic African undergraduate students in higher education at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. We argue that peer-mentoring educational programmes modelled on paid volunteerism achieve good outcomes for mentors and their mentees.]]