Program Impact
We don’t mean to brag, but Project Youth run 22 fantastic programs that support young people in our community. Here’s the latest impact and successes from some of our recent programs.
In 2022, together we supported:
2,376
young people to be connected, safe, achieving and healthy.
1,808
young people supported through early intervention programs
149
young people supported into Education, Employment & Training
419
young people supported with housing
103
paid and unpaid team members
20,535
occasions of support provided to help young people facing homelessness
22,700
nights of accommodation provided
$42,014
recovery of young people's debt
Peer Education:
12
peer educators are employed to support other young people 12-24 years old – young people supporting young people – it works!
1355
young people engaged in the program in 2022-23
100%
of young people reported an increase of knowledge
100%
of young people reported an increase in safety
Fitness Program:
57
Young people engaged in improving their fitness and well-being through our two programs called Muscle Up and Fit 4 Life.
100%
Of the young people involved showed improved health outcomes – what a fantastic achievement for the young people!
100%
Of the young people stayed connected in the program.
Outreach Program:
1195
Young people were provided advice and information by our youth workers who conduct assertive outreach in Cronulla, Miranda and Menai areas to prevent any escalation of issues or needs – Early Intervention at it’s best.
110
Young people were provided additional support in addition to the advice and information, like safe transport, food, counselling or referrals to other services
38%
Of young people that were supported have moved into other Project Youth programs to get longer and more intensive support.
Court Support Program:
211
Young people supported were supported in one year through our court support program.
73%
of young people were provided
with information and guidance
40%
of young people supported were
for first offence
Café Y Program:
1
Young person completed a 12-month traineeship and became an integral part of the café – they have now gone on to complete a university degree.
5
Young people were employed in the Café working part-time through the year.
32
Young people completed work experience placements.
80%
Of young people transitioned into further education or employment after leaving our Café program
Y Connect – Connect, Converse, Climb, Cook, Conquer
We won! We won the grant!
*Confetti Canons* *Applause* *Crowd goes wild*
Winning feels great, especially when it means the birth of an exciting new program to help young people facing disadvantage.
As youth workers, we recognise that problems on the surface, such as obesity, often link to an underlying cause such as a lack of socialisation. We try to understand these underlying problems, and we brainstorm solutions. We notice a gap in our service delivery. We think of a way we could help. We apply for funding to make it happen.
Our dreams came true in July 2019 when we were successful in applying for a grant from NSW Health. Finally, what was once a wild idea over a cuppa in the office was printed on flyers and handed out to young people – Y Connect was born.
Aside from drop-in, we felt Project Youth needed an alternative social avenue for young people who had barriers. Barriers include social anxiety, trauma, and negative peer interactions, all of which make it difficult for young people to engage in any social activity outside of their family home.
We wanted to give these young people, who spend so much time alone, an opportunity for peer interaction. Think about it – how important is having friends? How beneficial is socialising? There are undoubtedly many health benefits for a start, including the prevention of physical health problems such as obesity. So, with a focus on physical and mental health, mission ‘get socialising’ was a-go, and our Y Connect sessions got off to a flying start.
Friday nights became Y Connect nights, and FUN was the name of the game. We rock climbed, we went bowling, we visited the Menai Night Markets and the movies, and youth workers were well and truly thrashed at mini golf. We even hosted a dinner party one night, which was a good chance for us to chat about healthy eating. We learnt that one of Project Youth’s Youth Workers has a special skill for cutting vegetables into shapes that appear more appetizing. However, we bravely let a young person become ‘Head Chef’, and to this day we’re not sure what we ate that night…
A personal highlight was watching the pure disgust of one young person trying Sushi for the first time – the California Rolls did NOT go down well. Nonetheless, we came together, Friday after Friday, and we laughed.
As a youth worker, it is often the little wins that make the most memorable moments. It’s truly amazing when you help Jane find a safe place to live for the first time, but after spending so much time with John, alone in his home, watching him grow in confidence is just as rewarding. Imagine the shock when I phoned John one Tuesday evening, and he asked how my day was.
Y Connect engaged 10 young people aged 14-17 over 3 school terms. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the little wins kept coming – a couple of our participants now engage in other Project Youth programs, such as online Drop In, and the Mentoring Program. Another young person now hopes to take up personal training.
Armed with social skills, and a new-found love for sushi (or not), our participants are now one step closer to overcoming their barriers, facing school, and taking on the big bad world outside of the comfort of their family home.
