Grant Listings
July 2011
CERES Community Environment Park
Organic Farm Training Program
CERES (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) is a unique 10-acre Community Environment Park located beside the Merri Creek in East Brunswick. It is an urban oasis and thriving community environment park which includes a strong education and training program, an organic cafe, permaculture and bush food nursery, organic market and shop, restaurant, urban organic farm, multi-cultural education village, displays of renewable energy and efficient water use and a colourful calendar of community events and festivals.
The Organic Farm Training Program aims to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for marginalised students, including students who are disengaged with mainstream education, and students with an intellectual and/or physical disability. The programs provide students with hands-on projects that focus on environmental initiatives, sustainable agriculture techniques and organic cooking methods.
Melbourne Citymission
Evolution
Melbourne Citymission is over 155 years old and aims to build inclusive communities that overcome disadvantage and where people have equal access to opportunities and resources.
The Evolution program assists at risk youth aged 13-19 years to transition successfully back into education, further training or employment, by using art as a transition tool. The program aims to deliver a holistic and relational approach to transform the lives young people within the City of Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. Young people develop skills and strategies to help them believe in their own capacity, feel pride in their achievements and develop confidence to successfully pathway to further education, training or employment.
St. Kilda Youth Service
HEAT (Hospitality Employment & Training)
St Kilda Youth Service (SKYS) has been operating in the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) since 1982. It is a generalist youth service that works with young people who experience disadvantage and who have complex needs. SKYS has long been committed to service delivery principles that maximise young people’s potential through the creation of opportunities, which enhance the quality of their lives and connection to their community. There is a strong focus on early intervention, the reduction of risk factors and harm minimisation.
The HEAT program is a practical youth re-engagement program for young people aged fifteen to twenty five, with 70% of these young people between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. It is an innovative and practical program that assists young people in developing self-esteem, gaining accredited training qualifications in the hospitality industry, work experience in local businesses, paid employment and preparation for the world of work. In addition the HEAT program is establishing a social enterprise named HEAT Catering that provides accredited traineeships and employment for young people whilst working in a commercial enterprise providing catering as well as ‘Master Classes’ for corporate groups.
Verney Road Special School
Great Victorian Bike Ride
The Verney Road Special School has operated since 2011 and provides educational programs to meet the needs of students with mild to profound intellectual and/or multiple disabilities in the sensory, physical and emotional/behavioural areas. The aim is for all children to have a meaningful and worthwhile education that maximises their talents and abilities and enhances respect and self-esteem.
Funding provides the opportunity for six students with mild intellectual disabilities/autism to train for and participate in the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride. This ride is a nine-day cycling and camping adventure and enjoys a fun, social and inclusive environment mixing together people of all age groups and walks of life. Cycling assists young people with disabilities to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, partly through the physical activity itself, but also through the pleasure and satisfaction of riding a bike. Apart from fitness, other benefits include a sense of pride felt through achieving success, higher energy levels, increased attendance at school and increased opportunities to social interaction.
Western Chances
Scholarship Project
Founded in 2003, Western Chances’ vision is to see young people in Melbourne’s western suburbs achieve their full potential. To fulfil this goal, WC awards merit based scholarships that are targeted to young people in Melbourne’s West who have an identified talent, desire and motivation to fulfil their potential but lack the financial support, opportunity and networks to pursue their goals. In addition, WC provides programs and networks that advance the talents and pathways of young people in Melbourne’s West; recognises, nurtures and celebrate the talent and potential talent of young people and builds partnerships that are aligned with our vision to support the sustainability of Western Chances.
Newsboys funding will allow Western Chances to provide scholarships for financially disadvantaged young people attending public schools, TAFE or universities across the six municipalities of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham. Scholarships are merit based and target young people with an identified talent and motivation to achieve.
The young people benefiting from the Newsboys Foundation’s funding will be specifically young people aged between 11-18 years and will contribute to the costs of diverse educational expenses such as textbooks, school camps, travel costs, specialist lessons and course materials etc.
June 2011
Anglicare Victoria
Making Ararat A Plus
A three-year project for more than 3000 young people in the rural city of Ararat in western Victoria to increase and strengthen their engagement with education and training, improve their life skills and physical and mental health, and lift their aspirations for a meaningful and positive life. Involving all schools, government departments, local agencies and the community, the project will provide the young people with training and support, build relationships between all stakeholders, encourage existing agencies and groups to share their needs and opportunities, and ensure existing programs and services and fully utilized before new initiatives are developed.
CatholicCare Archdiocese of Melbourne (formerly Centacare Catholic Family Services)
Counseling for Young Refugees
A counseling and advocacy program to support young people in North Geelong from a refugee background. The young people are from Burma, Afghanistan, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Involving schools and English learning centres, the program aims to improve and strengthen participants’ mental health and wellbeing, increasing their chance of completing education and gaining employment.
Foundation Boroondara
CHANCES Student Support Program
Foundation Boroondara was founded in 2002 by the City of Boroondara as an independent community Foundation with a vision to enhance and strengthen the community by working together to encourage understanding, participation, belonging and well-being. Their Mission is to build a more caring connected community committed to social inclusion.
The CHANCES Student Support Program is program is based on the successful Chances for Children Program that originated in Mildura and the Western Chances Program that is run in the Western region of Melbourne. Both are very successful programs which support young people with educational expenses and broader support to enable them to realise their potential.
Hands on Learning
Capacity Building
Hands on Learning Australia (HOL) seek to reengage young people with their school and community. HOL caters to the needs of disengaged secondary students in their own schools, providing cross age, relationship based support whilst embarking on a range of creative building projects. HOL is a one day a week in-school early intervention program for years 7 to 10 students that significantly increases confidence, attendance and retention of students.
Funding provided to Hands on Learning will assist in maintaining this vital program which uses strategies such as role modelling, continual feedback and mentoring – all of which are found to be highly effective. Disengaged students have a history of difficulties in terms of functioning and coping with mainstream school for a variety of reasons. The students involved in HOL create building projects that benefit the school and the local community.
North Yarra Community Health
Spicy Cooking Program
North Yarra Community Health aims to provide high quality and responsive programs and services to all members of the community. They work with people to overcome their experiences of disadvantage, discrimination and disempowerment. They respect people’s choices and support them to make informed decisions to prevent illness and promote their health and well-being and encourage active participation in their services and in the life of the community.
The Spicy Cooking Program is an initiative for 11-18 year olds living on the Collingwood Housing Estate to participate in a healthy and culturally diverse cooking program as part of the Co-ordinated Collingwood Youth Programs. The program fosters a culture of sharing and inclusivity and is an important part of the life of up to 25 young people from mostly refugee backgrounds.
The Smith Family
Learning for Life Victoria
The Smith Family (TSF) is a national, independent, non-denominational, not-for-profit organisation which, since 1922, has been meeting the needs of disadvantaged Australian families and children.
TSF’s work has now reached more that 126,000 disadvantaged children and their families in 95 communities including over 32,000 students who recieved a Learning for Life financial sponsorship.
The Learning for Life program supports disadvantaged children and young people all the way through their education, from pre-school and primary school, to senior school and on to tertiary studies if they choose. This holistic, long term support gives young Australians the assistance they need to develop vital life skills, stay engaged in their education and have the best chance to realise their potential.
Variety Victoria
Bike Program
Originally established in 1928, Variety today provides children growing up with disability, serious illness or disadvantage with millions of dollars-worth of goods and services to help them reach their potential.
The Variety Victoria “Bikes for Kids Program” was established in 2002 to provide children under the age of 18 years, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to have their own bike and helmet. Funding from the Newsboys Foundation will help to meet the program’s expanding needs.
Western Edge Youth Arts
"Play"
Western Edge Youth Arts (WEYA) is a non-profit organisation established to provide positive arts and performance experiences to young people from different cultural and social backgrounds living in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Projects are managed in community contexts and in schools projects. WEYA celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity, and through the communicative power of artwork and performance, works with young people to enhance their artistic, communicative and problem solving skills. The acquisition of these skills empowers young people educationally and socially. As they grow in respect for themselves and others, they become ambassadors for a socially just and harmonious society.
“Play” creates a positive educational experience for newly arrived young people who are attending transitional schools in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The project provides a dynamic and culturally relevant learning experience that creates strong positive associations for young people by linking pride in their own cultural heritage, social contact and active play with their new life in Australia. It also builds social connections for young people and their parents from a wide range of newly arrived communities. By inviting young people to teach their peers about their own culture and background, PLAY establishes an educational paradigm in which young people’s learning is linked with taking on leadership roles, sharing themselves and offering windows into their own culture.
May 2011
Community Living & Respite Services
Club Teen & Social Skills Program for Young People with Autism
Community Living & Respite Services has been providing disability support services to the rural community of Echuca-Moama since 1979. The Club Teen program provides school holiday activities and pre/after school care for teenagers with disabilities. Funding enables children to engage in a wide variety of programs such as excursions, music therapy, and fitness training sessions which are beneficial to the development of life skills. The program also aims to overcome barriers such as poor motivation and behavioural issues by providing the opportunity to have ‘fun’ and develop social skills.
Website: www.clrs.org.au
Melbourne Youth Music / Anti-Racisim Action Band
MYM / A.R.A.B. Collaboration
Melbourne Youth Music MYM can date its origins back to 1967 when an enlightened State Government introduced free instrumental tuition into several government schools throughout Victoria, a scheme that was eventually extended. At the same time, the Secondary Schools Concert Committee was formed to provide music students with the opportunity of quality public performances. This committee became the Melbourne Youth Music Council and eventually, the Melbourne Youth Music Council Inc., now known as Melbourne Youth Music.
Today, Melbourne Youth Music offers a broad range of opportunities for young musicians. The Ensemble Program provides a comprehensive 32-week training program for young musicians, while Summer School and the Projects offer a range of concentrated activities. MYM programs are designed to complement and enhance any existing music education, no matter what your level of skill.
The Anti-Racism Action Band (A.R.A.B.) The Anti-Racism Action Band (A.R.A.B) from the Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS) is a community development, youth performing arts program with a long term vision for positive social change for youth, their families, schools and local communities in the northern region. The program opens its doors to youth aged 12 – 25 of any cultural background as a proactive initiative to raise self-esteem, increase confidence, challenge racial tensions and promote social inclusion whilst imparting performance skills, generating employment, mentoring opportunities, and developing life and social skills.
The collaboration between A.R.A.B. Sound Hub and Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings originated from the Newsboys Foundation AGM in 2010 where they performed independently. The performances provided a wonderful contrast between the classical playing by the Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings and the contemporary performance by A.R.A.B. There was an instant rapport and mutual respect for the talent and dedication shown through the respective performances. The result was the idea of doing a musical collaboration which will culminate with a performance in November 2011 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Youth Futsal Program
The Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre (MRC), established in 1980, provides settlement services for migrants and refugees in Melbourne’s north-west. Their vision is for generations of migrants and refugees to reach their full potential in Australia. They aim to build more inclusive and empowered communities by providing culturally appropriate and responsive settlement services, and culturally tailored, hands-on job-focused training.
The Youth Futsal Program provides culturally diverse young people with the chance to participate in regular physical activity in an informal, fun and social environment. The focus will be on engaging up to 35 newly arrived young refugees and migrants in a soccer program. The program will assist young people to participate in a community sporting activity, build self-esteem and develop friendships with other young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. There will be a further opportunity for participants who are interested to take up a futsal (soccer) referees course run by Football Federation Victoria.
St. Martins Youth Arts Centre
Integrated Performers Ensemble
St. Martins Youth Arts Centre, funded in 1980, works with young people to make theatre where transformation becomes possible. St. Martins provide a proactive approach to including all young people in their theatre making practice. This includes young people with disabilities who work with young people without disabilities in the Integrated Performers Ensemble. The program supports a group of young people aged 14 to 20 who come together on a weekly basis for theatre workshops and lunch. The program builds friendship and trust and reduces the isolation experienced by many of the young people with disabilities.
STREAT Ltd
Social Support
STREAT was established in 2009 as a social enterprise organisation based on the work of KOTO in Hanoi, Vietnam where street youth are provided with opportunities to develop life and job skills. STREAT now provides homeless and disadvantaged youth aged 16-25 in Victoria with a supported pathway from the streets to long-term employment in the hospitality industry. Its first café site was opened in Federation Square in March 2010 with the majority of participants successfully moving on to full apprenticeships and employment after the programs. They now run two street cafes in Melbourne where youth get their hospitality training and work experience. Funding provides a support worker to work with young people aged between 16-18 years to ensure their complex life issues including homelessness, mental health issues, drug and alcohol, legal and family violence are addressed in a constructive way.
March 2011
Crusaders
Scholarship Support
In the special and unusual circumstances of the application, support was provided for a young Sudanese person from the Sunshine Heights Cricket Club to participate in the Crusaders cricket tour to Europe and the UK in 2011. The Sunshine Heights Cricket Club actively encourages and supports a diverse multi-cultural mix of players in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. The scholarship will provide a unique opportunity for a young talented cricketer to travel overseas and play cricket in a team with other young Australians. The team of young players will be provided with the highest levels of coaching, technique and encouragement. It will also enable young people on the tour to develop their understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultural mix in Australia.
Gateway Community Health
Every Child Every Chance – Student Engagement Project
Gateway Community Health is based in Wodonga and provides health services to communities in North Eastern Victoria. The Every Child Every Chance project will work with young people enrolled at Wodonga Middle Years School and Wangaratta High School who are at risk of leaving school. The aim is to assist these young people to re-engage with learning and support them to complete their secondary schooling. The work is a continuation of the Highwater Theatre project in North East Victoria which is a successful collaboration between Gateway Community Health, Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company and the Department of Education and Training.
Mallee Accommodation & Support Program (MASP)
MASP School Holiday Program
Mallee Accommodation and Support Program is based in Mildura and provides a range of housing, disability and family support services to people in the Mallee. The School Holiday Program will enable young people in foster care and residential care to participate in a range of fun activities during the year, culminating in a camp to Hattah Kulkyne National Park. Throughout the year-long program, young people will be supported to develop their confidence and self-esteem.
Ocean Grove Neighbourhood Centre
Victorian Police High Challenge Camp
The Victorian Police High Challenge Camp provides an opportunity for 15 young people from the Ocean Grove Neighbourhood Centre Youth Group to attend a camp with local police and a squad from the Victorian Police Academy. The camp is a highlight of the ongoing youth group program. It connects young people to positive activities and provides opportunities for them to make friends, develop their confidence and self-esteem.
Prison Fellowship
Extraordinary Lives Teen Mentoring
Prison Fellowship Victoria cares for prisoners, ex-offenders and their families. Volunteers who are a part of the Prison Fellowship Victoria network visit people in prison and support them when they are released. They also support young people and children who have a parent in prison. The Extraordinary Lives Teen Mentoring Program will enable young people who have a parent in prison to participate in a mentoring program that includes regular weekend camps throughout the year.
Victorian Arabic Social Services
A.R.A.B. Emerging Artists and Arts Workers Initiative
The Anti-Racism Action Band (A.R.A.B.) uses the performing arts to aid social inclusion. A.R.A.B works with over 200 young people from 50 cultural backgrounds from the Northern suburbs of Melbourne across a range of popular and traditional performing and visual art forms. The emerging artists and arts workers initiative will provide intensive support and encouragement over three-years to young people aged 15 – 18 who demonstrate talent and wish to develop a career in the arts.
December 2010
Berry Street
Hume Region Foster Families Annual Summer Camp
A week-long summer beach camp for foster families and the young people in their care. The camp provides a fun and supportive environment to help the young people gain confidence and skills.
Breakaway Camps
School's OUT - Breakaway's IN
A school holiday program for disadvantaged young people in the Cities of Darebin and Whittlesea. The program includes indoor and outdoor games, craft activities, day outings and a mid-year camp. The activities are designed to help the young people learn new life skills and develop self esteem and self reliance.
Horsham College
ConnectEd
ConnectEd supports young people who have disengaged from mainstream education. The students are enrolled at Horsham College however they attend small classes in a community based environment in the heart of Horsham. Individual learning plans are written with each ConnectEd student to ensure their complex needs are addressed. The program includes numeracy, literacy and life skills such as communication, relationships and cooking skills.
Jesuit Social Services
Fitzroy Lions Soccer Program
The Fitzroy Soccer Lions Program provides a weekly sporting and social activity for 11 – 16 year olds from newly arrived communities living on the Fitzroy housing estate in the inner suburb of Melbourne. The program provides professional soccer training for young people from Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, Vietnamese and other backgrounds. Pathways are created for young people who demonstrate a talent and commitment to playing soccer to transfer into a mainstream soccer club. The program also assists young people to learn about people from other cultures and team work.
Lighthouse Foundation
Work Readiness for homeless young people
The Lighthouse Foundation provides homeless young people who come from backgrounds of long term neglect and abuse with a home and around the clock therapeutic care. Young people are healed by addressing the trauma associated with their past experiences as well as reconnecting them with the wider community. The work readiness for homeless young people program helps participants return to education or access skills training.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Intensive Support Program
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation aims to keep children and young people safe from violence and its devastating impact. The program provides intensive support to young people and their families following a traumatic or violent incident. It includes counselling, education and medical support.
The Australian Ballet School
Bursary Support
The Australian Ballet School is the national centre for excellence in classical dance training in Australia and is based in Melbourne. The bursary support will enable a Victorian student who is experiencing significant financial and social disadvantage to complete his final year studies at the Australian Ballet School. The student is extremely talented and dedicated however he needs financial support to ensure he is able to remain at school, complete his final year of studies and realise his dream of a career in classical dance.
The Mirabel Foundation
Social Inclusion Program with Outward Bound
Mirabel supports children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use and are in the care of their extended family (kinship care). Mirabel’s mission is to break the cycle of addiction.
The Newsboys Foundation will support the second year of the Social Inclusion Program. Mirabel, working with Outward Bound, will design and run a series of nine-day adventure camps in the Snowy River National Park. Each camp will be structured to meet the specific needs of its 15 participants. The camps include bushwalking, rock climbing, goal-setting workshops and counselling. After the camps, Mirabel will continue to work with and support the participants.
Vermont South Special School
Camping Program for Disabled Students
The grant will enable children from low income families to attend school camps.
Whitelion
Northern Bundji Bundji Program
The Northern Bundji Bundji Program works with 28 Indigenous young people in northern Melbourne who have a range of acute needs. An Indigenous outreach worker supports young people with an individual plan tailored to their specific needs. Key themes include supporting young people to stay at school, homework assistance, positive role modelling, health, drug and alcohol and mental health.
Yalari
Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship Program
An education scholarship program that enables Indigenous students to attend Australia’s leading boarding schools. The grant enables a Victorian Indigenous student to attend Geelong Grammar. The program aims to fund 250 scholarships over 10 years, creating an alumni network of Indigenous people who are leaders in their chosen field.
October 2010
Black Hole Theatre
Lost in Transit
A multimedia project where 30 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 from three different communities that are on train lines, Castlemaine, St Albans and Hobsons Bay, collaborate with media artists to interpret the theme Lost in Transit. The project will involve photography, video, special effects, animation, sound and text.
South Port Uniting Care with Kombiz Youth Network
On Ya Bike
On Ya Bike is a bicycle recycle program based in South Melbourne. Boys aged 11 – 18 will meet on a weekly basis to restore bikes and discuss issues relating to adolescence. A youth worker and a bicycle technician will work together to conduct the group. The boys will have the opportunity to develop their technical skills whilst enhancing their social skills. They will meet positive male role models and in a supportive environment, they will learn about the transition from being a boy to becoming a young man.
September 2010
Cottage by the Sea
REEF Camps
Recreation, Education, Environment, Friendly = the REEF Program. Each year for three years, a group of 16 young people aged 11 – 14 years will attend three REEF camps at the Cottage by the Sea. In total, the group will attend nine camps over a three-year period. The first year of the camps will focus on self, the second year on community and the third year on leadership. The main purpose of the camps is to provide additional support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds during their transitional years from primary to secondary school.
Koorie Heritage Trust
Pecan Summer - Dhungala Children's Choir
Australia’s Indigenous people have told their stories through song and dances for thousands of years. Pecan Summer is Australia’s first Indigenous opera. Written by Deborah Cheetham, it tells an important Australian story. In the heat of summer in February 1939, two hundred men, women and children walked off the Cummeragunja Mission in Victoria and crossed the ancient Dhungala (Murray River). The opera features the Dhungala Children’s Choir made up of 22 Indigenous young people from the Shepparton and Maroopna area. The Choir formed in February this year and is an integral part of the Pecan Summer opera as well as performing at local and national events.
Website:www.koorieheritagetrust.com Website:www.deborahcheetham.com/pecan_summer
Melbourne Youth Music
2011 Ensemble Programs
This grant enables disadvantaged students with ability in music to attend the Melbourne Youth Music Summer School and the Saturday Music Ensemble Programs.
Windermere Child & Family Services
Kids on Track
The Kids on Track program will assist young people aged 11 – 18 years in the Shire of Cardinia to stop criminal behavior, reduce recidivism and enhance their connection to the community. The Police, together with qualified youth workers, will work in partnership and assist young people. In doing so, they will link young people into additional support services including homelessness, mental health, anger management, family support and drug and alcohol counseling.
July 2010
Cobaw Community Health
Life skills
A comprehensive Life Skills Program will be conducted for young people enrolled in the Macedon Ranges community based Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). A range of workshops, excursions and camps will be held over 12 months. The aim is for young people to develop skills and self confidence to be able to live healthy, connected, resilient and meaningful lives.
Debney Park Secondary College
Kokoda Program 2010
The Kokoda Program is a partnership between the Victoria Police, Debney Park Secondary School, St Bernards College and the Metropolitan Ambulance Service. The program provides a unique opportunity for police officers and young people to train, communicate and work together to achieve the goal of walking the Kokoda track. The grant will enable eight young people from Debney Park Secondary College to participate in the program including training, walking the Kokoda track and follow up support over a 12 month period.
Echuca Specialist School
Swan Hill Sports Camp
Support for students from the Echuca Secialist School to compete in an organised sports day in Swan Hill. Students from Mildura, Bendigo, Maryborough and Echuca Special Schools travel to Swan Hill each year for an overnight camp and sports day. The camp gives students the chance to mix with their peers and display their athletic talents, reduces geographic isolation, and helps students feel they are part of a broader social group.
No website provided.
Foundation Boroondara
CHANCES Student Support Program
Whilst the City of Boroondara is perceived to be a wealthy area, there is scattered disadvantage throughout the municipality including the public housing estates in Ashburton. The Chances Student Support Program assists young people experiencing financial hardship with educational expenses so they may continue their schooling and realize their potential.
Melbourne Citymission
Evolution Program
The Evolution Project will be based at Signal in the CBD and will work with marginalized young people. The project seeks to re-engage young people using the medium of art. An artist and youth worker will work with young people for a minimum of 12 months to create art and address complex issues in the lives of the young people. The aim is to provide a flexible and creative program that is tailored to the individual needs of the young participants which will assist them to transition back into education, vocational training or employment. An art exhibition will also be held to show case the young peoples’ art.
June 2010
Awards Victoria
Engaging Wimmera's Youth
The grant will fund up to 100 young people in the Wimmera to undertake either the Duke of Edinburgh Award or the Compass Award. Award activities include community service, sports and bushwalking. The awards help young people develop leadership, work and life skills.
Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre
Ga-Ga & Archery
The grant will support the Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre annual camp for 1,000 students with special needs. This year, Ga-Ga Courts, a handball game of Israeli origin, and archery equipment will be purchased to provide additional fun and challenging experiences.
Community Living & Respite Services
Club Teen - Vacation Care for Teenagers with Disabilities
A school holiday program for young people with disabilities in Echuca, Moama and surrounding areas. The program engages the children in a range of fun activities. It is run by skilled staff who are able to manage their complex needs.
Concern Australia
Hand Brake Turn Scholarships
Concern Australia’s Hand Brake Turn program gives disadvantaged young people an opportunity to gain automotive workshop skills and a nationally accredited qualification, Certificate I in Automotive. The program combines training in panel beating, spray painting, motor mechanics, detailing, workshop safety, driver education and first aid with mentoring, personal support and life coaching. All participants receive a minimum of 12 months follow-up support.
Doxa Youth Foundation
Bendigo Doxa School Outreach Program
A program for students aged between 11 and 15 who have social and emotional difficulties and are not engaged by education in a mainstream school. Up to 25 students will be enrolled in the Doxa Bendigo School for two terms. The Doxa program is designed to reignite their interest in education and enable them to benefit from mainstream schooling. Each student is supported for a further 12 months after returning to a mainstream school.
Orygen Youth Health Research Centre
Orygen Youth Health Education & Vocation Program
Orygen Youth Health is a youth mental health organisation located in Parkville that provides mental health assessment and treatment to young people who live in the Western and North Western areas of Melbourne. The Education and Vocation Program assists young people attending Orygen to return to school or seek employment. Financial assistance is provided to young people experiencing financial disadvantage to enable them to return to education or participate in vocational training.
Phunktional
Calling the Shots - Mildura
A three-year community-based program that helps young people deal with issues such as bullying, drugs, depression and risk-taking. This particular project is designed to engage at-risk youths from a diverse range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds in challenging and interesting activities, including making art.
St. Kilda Youth Service
SKYS Young Mum's Program
Support for teenage mums and girls who are pregnant, including pathways to vocational training. The program aims to create an environment where young mums and mums-to-be can express themselves and gain job skills.
Western Chances
Scholarship Program
Support for young people from low-income families in Melbourne’s west to help them decide and achieve their education and career goals. The scholarship program includes practical support and counselling.
April 2010
Barwon Youth
High Challenge Camp
An ‘adventure’ camp for up to 15 teenagers currently in the Barwon youth justice system. The camp will be run in conjunction with Victoria Police as part of its High Challenge Camp Program. It helps participants develop life skills, confi dence and self esteem and forms part of their case support plan. Barwon Youth staff will continue to support the teenagers after the camp.
Website: www.barwonyouth.org.au
Evolve At Typo Station
Young Men's Program
Evolve’s Young Men’s Program is designed to engage disadvantaged young men in education, training or employment. It helps them develop a positive relationship with their family and the wider community. Activities include a 12-day bush hike in the Victorian Alps and pioneer-style stays at Typo Station in the King Valley. The program includes support for young men and their families for up to two years.
Website: www.evolve.org.au
Family Dog Theatre
No-one Leads an Ordinary Life
A series of workshops, for young people with special needs, that lead to a performance of a new theatre piece, No One Leads An Ordinary Life, at the Awakenings Festival and local Darebin events. The program enables participants to express themselves, build confi dence and, in some cases, start a career in the arts. Family Dog Theatre will conduct these workshops with Croxton School, Northcote High School and Platform Youth Theatre.
Website: www.familydogcircus.blogspot.com
Family Life
Youthworx: Providing Pathways to Employment and Social Engagement
A social enterprise to engage vulnerable young people in establishing an ‘up market’ opportunity shop in Chelsea. Participants will gain job and life skills and practical work experience. Family Life recently established such a shop in Cheltenham. The project helped a number of participants re-engage with education and training.
Website: www.familylife.com.au
Westside Circus
This is Sami - A New Performance Works by Young People
Westside Circus, the City of Yarra and Collingwood Alternative School have combined to create a youth circus project for disadvantaged young people, who will be involved in the performance of a new work titled This is Sami.
Website: www.westsidecircus.org.au
February 2010
Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House for the Yarra Community Music Network
The Big Song
Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House and Yarra Community Music Network will bring together a number of community groups in and around the public housing estates of Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood to learn and record a song composed by West Papuan refugee and new local resident Hein Arumiosre. The song is called Unity. Project participants will get to sing, dance, make a CD and make a film clip, working with other members of the community in a positive and supportive way.
Website: www.yarranet.net.au/banh/
Clontarf Foundation
Clontarf Foundation Victoria
The grant will support Clontarf Academy programs for Aboriginal teenage boys at Mildura Secondary College. The programs support the health and education of the boys and help them develop job skills.
Website: www.clontarf.org.au
The Australian Children's Music Foundation
School Music Program at Corio Bay Senior College
A music program for teenage parents attending the Young Parents Access Project at Corio Bay Senior College in Geelong. Participants work with specialist music teachers, make recordings and perform at school and community concerts. ACMF runs the program in conjunction with the Ardoch Youth Foundation.
Website: www.acmf.com.au
Tomorrow:Today Foundation
Education Program: Reducing barriers to joining and participating in community sports and activities
The Benalla Education Program takes a whole-of-community approach to addressing social disadvantage. This grant will enable students to participate in community activities and sports.
Website: www.tomorrowtoday.com.au
Western Edge Youth Arts Inc.
Chronicles: Searching for Songlines
Chronicles: Searching for Song Lines is a new, major community art project for disadvantaged young people in Melbourne’s west. The project is designed to improve the literacy and social inclusion of participants. It creates peer-support networks and much-needed positive recreational activities.
Website: www.westernedge.org.au
Hands on Learning
Hands on Learning at Mornington High School
A weekly in-school early intervention program designed to increase the attendance and retention of Years 7 to 10 students. Students take part in creative and challenging building projects that benefit the school and local community. The grant supports the continuation of this program at Mornington Secondary College.
Website: www.handsonlearning.org.au
December 2009
The Mirabel Foundation Inc.
FLAGSHIP GRANT - Mirabel Social Inclusion Program with Outward Bound
Mirabel supports children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug use and are in the care of their extended family (kinship care). Mirabel believes every child deserves a happy and healthy childhood. Its mission is to break the cycle of addiction. Mirabel supports babies and children up to 17 years. It works to restore a child’s sense of self worth, belonging and hope for the future. It strives to help these young people realize their full potential.
This program combines the expertise of Outward Bound and Mirabel to maximise the benefit to participants. Mirabel will implement a comprehensive selection process to identify 15 young people to take part in a unique nine-day outdoor adventure camp. Outward Bound and Mirabel will work together to design each camp to meet the specific needs of participants. The camps will include bushwalking, caving and rock climbing as well as goal-setting workshops, counselling, feedback sessions and spontaneous group interactions. They will create a unique environment for personal growth.
Mirabel will provide two leaders to assist Outward Bound’s two instructors during all aspects of the implementation of the program. These leaders will provide valuable insight into the background of these children and the difficulties they face. The expertise of the Outward Bound instructors will enable and ensure a safe and enjoyable wilderness experience for all participants. The young people get to take part in all aspects of the planning and implementation of the program and will be given opportunities to lead the group at various times during the camp. They will be encouraged to develop resourcefulness and determination while learning how to manage their time, communicate with others, self discipline, listen, work in a team, control and release their emotions, take the initiative and believe in oneself.
The camps are a course of self discovery. Mirabel will continue to work with the participants after the camps, enabling staff to form a close and trusted bond with each person and help them manage and deal with areas of difficulty identified during the course. Mirabel will also help each young person build a supportive network at school, develop positive relationships at home and establish a helpful peer network. A follow-up reunion camp at Mirabel House will be provided to offer participants the chance to reconnect with one another and reflect on their progress towards their goals. The combination of the Outward Bound course and Mirabel’s post-course care is designed to give participants renewed direction and focus and the necessary skills to make a positive transition into adulthood.
The program will take place over three years to maximise benefits and results. This extensive timeframe cements this unique program as a permanent and essential component of the Mirabel calendar. The course is for young people from across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The camps will take place in the majestic and beautiful Snowy River National Park.
Ardoch Youth Foundation
Enhanced Transition in Frankston North
An education and welfare program that helps children and young people experiencing disadvantage stay in school and benefit from education. The program includes support for at-risk students as they move from primary to secondary school.
Berry Street with the Goulburn Region Foster Families Association
Goulburn Region Foster Families Association Annual Summer Camp
A week-long summer beach camp for foster families and the young people in their care. The beach camp is designed to help the young people gain confi dence and skills in a fun and supportive environment.
Breakaway Camps
School's OUT - Breakaway's IN
A school holiday program for disadvantaged young people living in the cities of Darebin and Whittlesea. The program engages young people during the school holidays in activities that enable them to gain work and life skills and build confidence.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Intensive Support Program
The foundation aims to keep children and young people safe from violence and its devastating impact. The program provides intensive support to young people and their families following a traumatic or violent incident. It includes counselling, education and medical support.
Vermont South Special School
Camping Program for Disabled Students
The grant will enable children from low income families to attend these camps.
Yalari Limited
Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship Program
An education scholarship program that enables Indigenous students to attend Australia’s leading boarding schools. The grant enables a Victorian Indigenous student to attend Geelong Grammar. The program aims to fund 250 scholarships over 10 years, creating an alumni network of Indigenous people who are leaders in their chosen field.
October 2009
Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service
Educational Support for Disadvantaged Young People
Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service works closely with staff and students at Lynall Hall Community School in Richmond to help disadvantaged young people stay connected to their school and community.
The Centre for Multicultural Youth
The Hume Futsal Program
An indoor soccer program in Coolaroo for teenage refugees and migrants. Boys and girls from diverse cultural backgrounds come together in a safe, fun and culturally-respectful environment. The program helps these young people engage in community sport.
September 2009
Casey North Community Information & Support Services
Back to School
The City of Casey has a high proportion of young families who struggle to make ends meet. This program helps them pay for everyday back-to-school items, easing financial strain and supporting the children’s education.
Melbourne Youth Music
2010 Summer School and Saturday Music
The grant enables disadvantaged students with ability in music to attend the Melbourne Youth Music Summer School and Saturday Music Programs.
Whitelion
Youth Development Camps
Whitelion Youth Camps are designed to help young offenders and young people at risk of offending build confidence and self esteem. The camps also create positive peer networks.
Uniting Care Geelong (formerly Uniting Care Concern)
Education Assistance Program
Support for low-income families to help them meet back-to-school costs.
July 2009
Echuca Specialist School
Swan Hill Sports Camp
The grant enables secondary students from Echuca Specialist School to participate in the annual Swan Hill Sports Camp. The camp gives students a chance to showcase their athletic talents and mix with peers from Swan Hill, Mildura, Bendigo and Maryborough. It reduces geographic isolation and helps students feel part of a broader social group.
Holy Trinity Mission for Kombiz Youth Network
Transition Project
Support for disadvantaged young people in the City of Port Phillip during their transition from primary to secondary school. The program is particularly vital for students in areas that are not serviced by a local high school.
St. Luke's Anglicare
Reel2Real
An early intervention program that uses music to engage and motivate disadvantaged young people in north central Victoria. More than half of the participants are Aboriginal, who are supported by the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca and the Bendigo District Aboriginal Corporation.
The Resource, Information, Support and Education Centre Inc. (R.I.S.E. Centre Inc.)
Autism Spectrum Disorder Adolescent Social Development Program
Young people with autism can be at risk of depression, social isolation and low self-esteem. The grant will help fund a social development program for young people with autism in the Shepparton area. The program includes recreational and challenging activities in a safe and understanding environment.
No website available.
The Smith Family
The Monash University, Churchill Camp for East Gippsland Students
A camp for up to 70 Year 10 and 11 students from across the East Gippsland and Wellington shires that gives secondary students a taste of university life. The camp aims to lift the education aspirations of local students, especially those with a family background that does not include tertiary education.
Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS) for A.R.A.B.
A.R.A.B. Mfuse Project
The Anti Racism Action Band (A.R.A.B.) uses the performing arts to aid social inclusion. It presents two major productions and up to 70 smaller gigs each year, reaching more than 20,000 people. This grant enables up to 80 young people from low-income and culturally-diverse backgrounds to participate in the program.
June 2009
Skyline Education Foundation (SEFA)
VCE Bursary Program
The Skyline Education Foundation assists socially and financially disadvantaged and talented young people to step out of adversity and embark on a journey of opportunity where they can realise their potential through education. The Skyline Education Foundation VCE Bursary Program supports young people at a financial, social and emotional level for the duration of their VCE. The Newsboys Foundation grant will support two young people to complete their VCE and successfully transition to higher education or employment.
Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company
Harnessing The Talent
Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company has arisen out of a commitment to give voice to those who have none. The Newsboys Foundation grant will support the Highwater Theatre project working with marginalised young people in North East Victoria. The project works with young people from Years 7 to 10 at Wodonga College who are at risk of leaving secondary school.
The program encourages disengaged students to join a creative arts program working with Somebody’s Daughter Theatre artists and the young people from HighWater Theatre. Through a combination of workshops incorporating theatre, art, music and media, the participants discuss and select issues that interest and engage them. As the group gains cohesion, scripts will be developed followed by rehearsals in the lead-up to public performances.
Sunshine Heights Cricket Club
Introduction to Cricket for Refugee Children in West Sunshine
The Sunshine Heights Cricket Club is used as a vehicle, in conjunction with St Paul’s, the local Primary school, to encourage newly arrived refugees and families, especially Sudanese young people to participate in the community. The Club provides a welcoming environment whereby community members can build their social and friendship networks with other kids and families. The Club actively encourages young people who may be socially isolated to join the Club and make friends with a view to creating lifelong friendships. The Newsboys Foundation grant will assist to establish and support an under 13’s cricket team including Sudanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Maltese and Ugandan young people.
Western Chances
Scholarship Program
Western Chances works to ensure that a lack of money, resources or networks does not stand in the way of opportunity for talented young people in the west of Melbourne. The Scholarship Program supports disadvantaged young people with practical resources and social support. Western Chances also supports them to work towards their education and career goals. Ongoing opportunities for young people that enable them to reach their full potential are created through an extensive network of Western Chances supporters.
Youth For Christ Australia Gippsland
Bridge House
Bridge House is a relationship-based activity and support program based in Warragul that aims to help meet the needs of at-risk young people by providing a positive peer group, role models and the development of strong trusting relationships. The Newsboys Foundation grant supports a program of recreation activities and therapeutic wilderness camps.
April 2009
Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare Inc.
Debutante Ball
A debutante ball to mark the transition of young people from the State Government care system to adulthood and independence.
[www.cwav.asn.au] (http://www.cwav.asn.au)
Church of All Nations (Ernies Club)
Ernie's Club 28th Birthday Celebrations
Ernie’s Club for young people living in the Carlton high-rise estate will celebrate its 28th Birthday in June 2009. Young people attend the Club to enjoy a range of social and recreational activities (No website available).
Evolve @ Typo Station
Young Men's Program
Support for 20 disadvantaged young men to take part in Evolve at Typo Station’s two year supported life skills and alternate education program. For many families experiencing hardship, only a portion of the subsidised program fee is achievable and the sponsorship program enables those experiencing hardship to take part.
MIND
Transition to Independent Living
Mind provides services to people recovering from a mental illness. The Transition to Independent Living program offers opportunities to young people whose lives have been interrupted by a mental illness. Through the program young Victorians can start to rebuild their lives with confidence, re-establish relationships, secure stable accommodation, gain skills to manage their illness and qualifications to secure employment.
Prison Fellowship Australia Victoria
Extraordinary Lives
The damage from crime spreads far beyond the specific offence. High on the list of victims of crime are the children of the convicted. Extraordinary Lives provides positive experiences in the form of camps, day trips, mentoring and ongoing support for the children of prisoners. The program seeks to break down stigma whilst bringing hope and joy into the lives of young people whose parent is in prison.
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre (Foreva Young Youth Committee)
The Yellow Brick Road: Pathway to Opportunities
This project will provide young people residing in the municipality of Hume, predominantly of Assyrian Chaldean migrant background, opportunities to participate in education, employment and recreational activities.
The Portsea Camp
Safe in The Shade
The Portsea Camp has been conducting holiday camps for disadvantaged children and young people for over 60 years. Each year over 1,500 young people participate at charity camps with a further 10,000 young people staying at the camp with school groups. The grant will provide funds to construct essential shade cover in a large outdoor area where the young people gather prior to outdoor activities beginning.
Victorian YMCA Youth & Community Services Inc.
North Melbourne Youth Health Club Program
The North Melbourne Youth Health Club Program is conducted at the Community Centre located at the high rise housing estate in North Melbourne. The Program is run by the YMCA with hands on support from the Essendon Football Club, Victoria Police and Doutta Galla Community Health Service and encourages health and fitness whilst introducing young people who are newly arrived in Australia to local health and community services.
February 2009
Cottage by the Sea
Five Day Camp
A five-day camp at Cottage by the Sea in Queenscliffe for 20 children from fire affected areas in Victoria. The camp will include excursions, adventures and health-promotion activities. It is hoped that a holiday by the sea in a relaxed, caring and homely environment will help to ease the intense trauma experienced by the children affected by fires.
Operation Newstart
Establishment of Operation Newstart Eastern
Operation Newstart is a personal development program for disengaged young people. Building upon the successful Operation Newstart model, a program will be established for young people in Eastern metropolitan areas. The Newsboys Foundation grant will be used to purchase camping equipment used throughout the program. Operation Newstart Eastern aims to contribute to and bring about a gradual, positive, consistent and sustainable change to the opportunities and quality of life of young people at risk. (Website under construction)
Pathways Foundation
Economically Disadvantaged Scholarship Program
Pathways Foundation mission is to provide contemporary rites of passage programs to every boy and girl across the nation, regardless of their location, education, economic standing or religion. The Economically Disadvantaged Scholarship Program will provide financial support for 10 boys and girls with their respective parents/carers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Victoria to participate in the Pathways to Manhood and Pathways to Womanhood programs.
Phunktional
Melbourne Breaks
Phunktional successfully delivers arts projects with and for young people that deal with sensitive issues including sexual assault, body image, drug addiction, depression, bullying and racism. Melbourne Breaks is an award winning dance theatre performance featuring some of Australia’s best break dancers. Touching on issues of depression, bullying, social isolation, substance use and risk-taking behaviour, Melbourne Breaks tells the break dancers’ own story of struggle, hardship and survival through developing a passion for dance to become some of the best break dancers in Australia. The Newsboys Foundation grant will support the Melbourne Breaks tour and workshops for young people to three regional Victorian areas in July 2009.
[www.phunktional.com] (http://www.phunktional.com)
St. Kilda Youth Service
Young Mum's Program
St Kilda Youth Service is a generalist youth service that supports young people at risk in the City of Port Phillip. The Young Mum’s Program provides a broad range of support services and access to vocational training for young women who are mothers or who are pregnant. The program enables the young women to feel respected and provides them with a safe place to express themselves and develop their skills.
The Youth Junction Inc.
Multi-media Art Project (MAP
The Youth Junction, located in the heart of Sunshine provides a holistic approach to the provision of services for young people in the City of Brimbank. The Multi-media Art Project will engage with young people in an inclusive way and provide workshops for young people to create art in the following art forms: spoken word poetry; sculpture and digital story telling. During National Youth Week, the art work will be exhibited and performed in the Sunshine community to show case the young peoples’ creative work. Through the project, young people will become familiar with the range of support services provided at The Youth Junction so that they may access the holistic services if required.
Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO)
School Holiday Program
Children and families of offenders are often the hidden, secondary victims of crime, experiencing marginalisation, stigmatisation and poverty, frequently as an unintended consequence of the incarceration of a family member. The School Holiday Program will offer a range of community based active outings for children of offenders during the 2009 school holidays. The program will be both challenging and fun and will increase the participation and engagement of children who are often socially marginalised.
Very Special Kids
Music Therapy Program
Very Special Kids provides continued care and service to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. For many seriously ill children who are unable to speak, music can be their voice. The music therapy program for children at Very Special Kids House provides an important therapeutic, fun and creative outlet.
December 2008
Back to Back Theatre
Residency at Nelson Park School 09
Back to Back Theatre Inc. is one of Australia’s leading contemporary theatre companies and a supported employment service for people with intellectual disabilities. Back to Back will undertake a two term residency at Nelson Park School, a day specialist school that caters for students aged between 5 and 18 years with a mild intellectual disability in Geelong. The residency will provide important development and artistic opportunities for the students.
Berry Street / Goulburn Region Foster Families Association
Goulburn Region Foster Families Association Annual Summer Camp
Berry Street and the Goulburn Region Foster Families Association will conduct the annual week-long summer beach camp for foster families and the children they care for. The camp gives children the opportunity to experience activities that help them to achieve success. At the camp, the foster carers are able to attend training that further develops their skills in caring for vulnerable children.
Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre
Fun, Games & Adventure
Each year, Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre provides a camping experience to over 1,000 students with special needs. Table tennis tables, giant games and mountain bikes will be purchased to provide additional challenging and fun activities for the children who attend the camp.
Breakaway Camps
School's OUT - Breakaway's IN
A school holiday program for disadvantaged young people living in the Cities of Darebin and Whittlesea. The program provides opportunities to take part in constructive activities during the school holidays, enabling them to learn new life skills and develop self-esteem and self-reliance.
Concern Australia
Newsboys for Life Scholarships: Helping young people break their predicament and turn their lives around
Concern Australia uses a holistic and relational approach to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people in Victoria. Hand brake turn is an eight week training course with follow on support for young people aged between 15 – 19 years. The training is conducted inside a fully equipped automotive workshop leading to Certificate 1 Automotive and includes motor mechanics, spray painting, panel beating, detailing, workshop safety, driver education and first aid.
Deaf Children Australia
Deaf Sports Camp Program
The Deaf Sports Program will deliver three, two-day sports camps in Geelong for Victorian young people who are deaf or hearing impaired. The program will focus on skill development whilst also celebrating diversity and achievement of young people who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Don Bosco Youth Centre & Hostel
Equipment for the Enjoyment of Children & Teenagers at the Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel Renovations
The Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel located in Brunswick provides an important recreation and residential service for many disadvantaged children and young people. A new kitchenette for hostel residents will be established and the trampolines in the Youth Centre will be repaired.
Vermont South Special School
Camping Program for Disabled Students
Financial assistance to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend an appropriate camp, regardless of their family’s capacity to pay.
October 2008
Access Ministries
Chaplaincy Program at Ararat Community College
A full time Chaplain will support the school community of approximately 900 students at the Ararat Community College. Individual support as well as community support is provided to students and their families who have experienced significant disadvantage.
Casey North Community Information & Support Services
Back to School
A high proportion of the City of Casey population is young families – many of whom are experiencing significant financial hardship. The Back to School Program assists disadvantaged young people with the costs associated with returning to school. Education is an important foundation for all young people. By supporting all young people to stay at school, disadvantaged students can plan, succeed and build hope for the future.
CERES Community Environment Park
Organic Farm Training Program
Ceres (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) is a community environment project set on four-hectares beside the Merri Creek in Bruswick East. The Organic Farm Training Program involves students at risk and those with intellectual or physical disabilities in horticulture and hospitality skill development. Training is hands on and set in a real environment. The program culminates in an end of year camp at Camp Bambara where the horticulture students will attend to the maintenance needs of the camp, while the hospitality students will cater for the entire camp.
Taralye - The Oral Language Centre for Deaf Children
Classroom Refurbishment
Taralye is an oral language centre for deaf children providing services to deaf and hearing impaired children and their families throughout Victoria. Due to the expansion of Taralye’s teaching services, a staff room will be converted into a classroom. As such, the room needs to be refurbished to make it into a suitable learning environment including sound proofing.
Travellers Aid Society of Victoria (TASV)
Pathways to Education
Travellers Aid has a proud 92 year history of assisting a diverse range of people in need. The Pathways to Education Program assists homeless young people and young people from low income families to the meet the costs associated with staying at school – particularly public transport costs to and from school.
Westside Circus
In my Footsteps: A new circus and theatre work by young people
Westside Circus uses circus and physical theatre to cultivate innovative artistic expression and in doing so makes a positive difference to the lives of young people from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds. Westside Circus will create a new circus performance based at Signal, a youth focused arts space situated on the north bank of the Yarra River in the CBD.
September 2008
Aboriginal Literacy Foundation
Literacy & Heritage Camps for Indigenous Young People
The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation provides literacy programs for Indigenous children and young people experiencing major learning difficulties. Six literacy and heritage camps will be conducted for Indigenous students where they will receive one on one intensive literacy support.
Ardoch Youth Foundation
Primary School Support Project - Mahogany Rise
Ardoch Youth Foundation makes education a reality for children and young people especially for those experiencing disadvantage. The Primary School Support Project – Mahogany Rise, located in Frankston North, is an education and welfare program to assist students to remain at school and to improve learning outcomes.
Doxa Youth Foundation
Malmsbury Camp Water
The Doxa Youth Foundation creates opportunities for disadvantaged young people. One of Doxa’s flagship programs is the Doxa Malmsbury Camp. The camp provides a safe holiday experience for disadvantaged young people. The camp has recently undergone a major renovation. Due to its location, the camp has no mains water but instead relies on tank water. The grant will enable the water tanks to be repaired and replaced to ensure an adequate supply of water to the camp.
Helping Hand Foundation Inc.
Lifeskill Education
The Life Skills Education Program works with 400 young people in and around St Kilda to develop skills and strategies to help them believe in their own capacity to influence positively their achievements in all areas of life.
No website provided.
Lighthouse Foundation
Lighthouse Counselling to all
The Lighthouse Foundation works in innovative ways to provide long-term benefits to homeless young people in Victoria. A regular counselling service will be provided to all Lighthouse residents and young people who are involved in the Lighthouse Outreach Program to address complex issues relating to homelessness.
Open House Christian Involvement Centre
Attitude Management Program
The Attitude Management Program works with young men who struggle with maturity, relationships and self-esteem. The program provides opportunities for these young men to grow in self-esteem and develop new skills.
SkillsConnection
Tools for Change (T4C)
Tools for Change prepares students in Colac and the surrounding area to successfully make the transition from primary school to secondary school. A two day workshop provides students with experiences and information that will enable them to better manage the change and prepare them for the school year.
Uniting Care Geelong (formerly Uniting Care Concern)
Education Assistance Program
Assist low income families to meet education costs for secondary students going back to school.
July 2008
Mallee Family Care
Chances for Children
Chances for Children supports children and young people from Mildura and the Mallee to make the most of their capabilities regardless of their financial situation. The fund is used to identify what monies are required to make up the difference to fill the financial gap so that young people can undertake education in order to realise their career and life potential.
Scripture Union Victoria
Inspired4Life Annual Camp
Young people from the western and northern regions of Melbourne will attend a camp in Gippsland. The camp provides a circuit breaker for young people to step out of their usual environment, feel challenged within a supportive structure and work through issues that they are facing in a positive way.
The Mirabel Foundation
Respite Program
Provision of therapeutic respite care for children aged 3 – 12 years, who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use. The respite provides a suitable environment for children to express their feelings and talk about their experiences while their kinship carers (usually elderly grandparents) receive the rest and support they require to continue to provide care.
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
Deadly Kids Develop Deadly Books
This community literacy initiative will undertake community publishing activities with children aged from five to secondary school age and their families in the Indigenous community in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
June 2008
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Support for Young Asylum Seekers
Support for children and young people seeking asylum in Australia, including healthy food parcels, social and recreation programs, and other material assistance. The programs address issues such as economic hardship, mental health and well being.
Berry Street
Positive Memory Bank
Positive memories are the foundation of a positive future. Children and young people who have experienced the trauma of family violence, abuse and neglect have a memory bank overflowing with negative images yet they often express the same dreams and hopes of a better future as many others their age. The project will support young people wishing to pursue their interests, and create positive experiences and memories to build a stronger foundation for the future.
BEST Community Development
Delivery Van for Café BEST
Funds to purchase a new catering delivery van for Café Best, an employment and training program for young people with disabilities in Ballarat. Cafe Best is not only a gourmet cafe and catering service but also an innovative social enterprise.
Centacare Catholic & Family Services
School Refusal Counselling, Consultancy & Training - "cool2b@school"
The cool2b@school early intervention program aims to prevent students who show signs of school refusal or phobia, or both, from becoming school refusers. It offers counselling for students and their parents, and a consultancy to schools aimed at supporting students to stay at school.
Church of All Nations Carlton Welfare Agency (Ernie's Club)
Birthday Celebrations & Excursion to Sovereign Hill
School Holiday Program for young people living at the Carlton High Rise Estate.
No website available.
Croxton Special School
Family Dog Circus
A second grant was provided to support and extend a range of inclusive youth performance improvisation, lighting and sound opportunities, and the second Bow WOW! Festival.
Melbourne Legacy
Legacy Junior Public Speaking Awards
The program helps young people throughout Victoria develop and practice their public speaking skills while learning about Legacy. The subject matter of the speeches relates to the ideals of Legacy: voluntary service, social justice, caring, personal effort, personal sacrifice and mateship.
Menzies Inc.
Animal Assisted Therapy for Children Exposed to Family & Domestic Violence
The program addresses the social issue of domestic violence and its effect on children who have been exposed to family violence, abuse and neglect. Through a behaviour modification program and with the help of farm animals, children learn to develop the necessary social and emotional skills to support positive life choices and make life-long changes.
Righteous Pups Bendigo
Industry Program
The Industry Program supports young people to develop industry-based skills that will help them gain employment or further their education. Throughout the program, they are given opportunities to develop their self esteem, confidence and skills.
Urban Seed
Urban Seed Edge
In partnership with the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre in Bendigo, Urban Seed is conducting Urban Seed Edge with young poeple at risk of long-term unemployment, low school attendance, antisocial behaviour and substance abuse. The program involves a mix of outdoor education along with leadership and community development training to address physical, social, spiritual and emotional issues.
April 2008
Doncare
Back to School
At a time in the year when the finances of many families are already stretched to the limit, the Back to School Program helps children from low income families begin the new school year on a positive note by assisting with the purchase of books, uniforms and shoes.
Glastonbury Child & Family Services
Youth HomELessness Prevention (Youth HELP)
This program encourages young people to take part in making decisions about their lives and futures. It offers the opportunity for immediate and extended family members to come together at facilitated meetings and put aside any differences to focus on making plans to prevent young people from becoming homeless.
The Australian Children's Music Foundation
School Music Program
The project expands the existing partnership between the ACMF and the Ardoch Youth Foundation to provide music programs at Albion North Primary School, in Sunshine North, and Sunvale Primary School, in Sunshine.
The Portsea Camp
Camp Canoes
The Portsea Camp provides positive recreation camps for disadvantaged children and young people – the purchase of 10 canoes and life jackets will enable all children who visit the camp to take part in canoeing activities. The canoeing program provides disadvantaged children and young people with fun and adventure, and gives them the opportunity to raise their self esteem and increase their confidence, and the challenge to work positively with others.
The Song Room
Music/Performing Arts Program, Bendigo
A music and performing arts program held in two schools in Bendigo (Bendigo Teaching Unit and St Monicas Primary School) and designed for children who are having significant difficulties in school. Such children are at risk of falling out of mainstream education due to poor school attendance, learning difficulties and other academic, social and emotional issues.
The Victorian Arts Centre Trust
First Call
The program offers young people who are disadvantaged (financially, geographically or by some other circumstance) to experience quality performing arts at the Arts Centre. Such an enjoyable experience can open up a whole new world for young people.
Victorian College for the Deaf
Tradeblock Cafe
Seed funding for the new and innovative Deaf Cafe located at the Victorian College for the Deaf. The Tradeblock Cafe plays an important role in addressing serious gaps in training and education of deaf youth, and provides real pathways to work, training and further study through the expansion of the VCAL program which promotes hands-on learning. Through the cafe, students can develop life and work skills in a nurturing environment within the school. The cafe also helps break down communication barriers between the deaf and the hearing community.
February 2008
Boronia Baptist Church
Combined Church Camp
Joint camp activity with the Knox Baptist Church for 70 students and leaders at the Forest Edge Adventure Resort. The activity will provide a supportive and interactive environment in which young people are valued, encouraged and challenged.
No wesbite available.
California Gully Primary School
Friendly Free Time Initiative - supporting ALL children to stay included
A lunchtime program that encourages all children to take part in recreational activities. Through play, games and appropriate adult involvement, the program provides the opportunity for all children, specifically those at risk of exclusion from school activities, to practice their social skills.
Ganbina
Koori Youth Driver Skills Program
Support to expand the Koori Driver Skills Program to incorporate driving supervision to complete the 120 Drive Time. The program helps to overcome a significant barrier for indigenous young people who do not have access to a suitable licensed driver or vehicle.
Kids Under Cover Inc
Bungalow Program
Construction of a bungalow for a young person experiencing hardship. The program aims to prevent homelessness among young people who are most at risk by helping them to find pathways to more stable living.
Ocean Grove Neighbourhood Centre
High Challenge Camp
The Victorian Police High Challenge Camp provides an opportunity for 15 young people to attend a camp with local police and a squad from the Victorian Police Academy. The aim is to improve leadership skills, confidence and self esteem, and to build a positive relationship between police and young people.
No website provided.
The Reach Out for Kids Foundation Inc. (ROK)
Broadening Horizons
This project establishes and promotes three separate but related programs that address the needs of young people who have experienced tragedy or abuse.
The Youth Junction Inc.
National Youth Week 2008 Celebrations (5-13th April)
Programs leading up to National Youth Week to provide young people with the opportunity to learn and test their creative abilities within structured workshops in art, music, dance, leadership, drama and theatre.
Thornbury High School
Community Click
Classnet provides a free online regulated platform for young people to post DVD’s they have created using emerging digital technologies. Further development of the Classnet website to include “Community Click” will enable community groups to access the site and post their own DVD’s made by young people, along with school films.
Youth For Christ Australia - Gippsland
Bridge House / YFC Youth Centre
The Youth for Christ Youth Centre provides a positive atmosphere in which local young people can meet, socialise, use the facilities, learn life skills and take part in a range of activities. The centre provides informal mentoring relationships and connects young people with positive role models.
December 2007
Autism Behavioural Intervention Association
Serenity Now
An education program teaching children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and their parents, effective methods of coping with anxiety. This early intervention strategy offers the tools to recognise, prevent and deal with anxiety.
Best Buddies Australia
High School Project - Ashburton
A friendship program that matches young people with intellectual disabilities with students of a similar age from a mainstream school in Ashburton. The program provides opportunities for young people with disabilities to form lasting friendships with young people who do not have disabilities, and helps reduce the social isolation felt by those with disabilities. As one parent remarked: “I can buy most things my son needs but I can’t buy him a friend.”
Church of All Nations (Carlton Youth and Family Services)
2008 Recreational Activities at Ernie's Club
Recreational activities, including beach trips and country picnics for young people living at the high rise estate in Carlton.
No website available.
Goulburn Region Foster Families Association
Summer Camp
Funding of the annual summer camp, run in conjunction with Berry Street. The camp provides a summer holiday for children and young people in foster care, along with important networking and support for the Foster Carers.
No website provided.
Jesuit Social Services - Brosnan Centre
Garden Survival at The Brosnan Centre
Completion of the redeveloped courtyard garden at the Brosnan Centre, including the installation of rainwater tanks and a drip system. Young people recently released from Prison and detention centres worked on the project.
Melbourne Anglican Benevolent Society Inc.
South Melbourne Community Camp
The summer holiday camp gives local children and young people an opportunity to enjoy new experiences and engage with other community members in a relaxed, non-threatening environment.
Melbourne Youth Music
Financial Assistance Program
Funding to subsidise fees for disadvantaged students with musical talent to enable them to attend the Summer School and Saturday Music Programs.
Open Family Australia
Soccer Noodles Program
A program to engage Vietnamese drug users in Footscray, who are actively seeking drug treatment, in a weekly game of soccer. After the game, the team is taken to a local cafe for a healthy bowl of noodles. The program promotes physical activity, a healthy diet and positive social interaction.
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre (Foreva Young Youth Committee)
Youth Contribution & Leadership Program
The Foreva Young Youth Committee, auspiced and supported by the Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, is a group of young people from an Assyrian Chaldean background who want to make a difference in their community. The group provides opportunities for other youth from the same background, and offers information sessions for young people and their families to address issues relating to cultural identity and inter-generational conflict.
November 2007
Casey North Community Information & Support Services
Back to School
The Back to School Program seeks to help disadvantaged families in the City of Casey over the cost of their children returning to school.
Church of All Nations (Carlton Youth and Family Services)
Table Tennis Table
Replacement of a table tennis table at “Ernie’s Club” in Carlton for young people living at the Carlton High Rise estate.
No website available.
Cottage by the Sea
Five Day Camp
A five-day camp for 20 disadvantaged children at the Cottage by the Sea, in Queenscliff, including excursions, adventures and health promotion activities.
Cystic Fibrosis Victoria
Kids Fitness Participation Program
The Fitness Participation Program is dedicated to improving the quality of life of children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and their families. It combines practical and financial support to help children with CF, particularly those who are facing financial hardship, better manage their health.
St. Kilda Youth Service
Young Mum's Program, Camping and Recreation Program
The Young Mum’s Program provides a broad range of support services and access to vocational training for young women who are mothers or who are pregnant.
The Camping and Recreation Program provides outdoor activities to marginalised young people who live in and around St. Kilda. It offers them the opportunity to enjoy positive and fun activities they would not normally take part in, and provides opportunities to develop independence, self-esteem and social skills.
Villa Maria - St. Paul's College
The Liberty Swing
St. Paul’s College caters for more than 90 students with disabilities. The liberty swing, a playground swing designed especially for children with disabilities, enables profoundly disabled students to enjoy a fun and pleasurable recreational experience. Loading a wheelchair-bound student onto the swing takes less than a minute and can be performed by one staff member.
October 2007
Breakaway Camps
Breakaway Camps School Holiday Program
A school holiday program for disadvantaged young people living in the cities of Darebin and Whittlesea. The program provides them with opportunities to take part in constructive activities during the school holidays, enabling them to learn new life skills and develop their self-esteem and self-reliance.
Doveton North Primary School
Boys Making a Difference Project
A hands-on project that enables boys in their primary years of schooling who are underachieving in the classroom, or who have attitudinal difficulties with work and school, to learn real-life skills though negotiated community-based projects.
Narre Warren South College P-12 Secondary
Operation Newstart Casey
Intensive personal development program that helps disengaged young people find positive solutions in a challenging and supportive environment.
Webiste under construction.
Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company
Expansion of Highwater Theatre
The program uses the power of the arts as a catalyst to help young people disconnected from mainstream education find their way back onto educational pathways. Highwater Theatre has developed several new short works as part of the creative education package for teachers, welfare workers, students and artists.
The Australian Ballet
First Impressions
The First Impressions program enables disadvantaged (physical, intellectual, social and economic) young people up to the age of 18 to attend a ballet performance free of charge.
Vermont South Special School
Camping Program for Disabled Students
Financial assistance to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend an appropriate camp, regardless of their family’s capacity to pay.
Very Special Kids
Music Therapy Program
Very Special Kids provides continued care and service to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. For many seriously ill children who are unable to speak, music can be their voice. The music therapy program for children at Very Special Kids House provides an important therapeutic, fun and creative outlet.
Whitelion
Youth Development Camps
Whitelion provides services to vulnerable young people within our community, particularly those in, and at risk of entering, statutory systems. Whitelion Youth Development Camps provide opportunities for young people to achieve personal excellence and build self-esteem, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-motivation and respect for others.
September 2007
Camcare
Supporting Young People Through Education
Provides financial assistance to disadvantaged young people to help them pay their education costs.
Child & Family Services Ballarat
Annual Holiday Program for children in the Residential Care Program
Support for CAFS Summer annual holiday program for children in residential care. The camp provides an important summer holiday for eight disadvantaged children aged between from seven and 16. For many children, it is their first visit to the beach.
Don Bosco Youth Centre
Kitchen Renovation & Recreation Equipment
Recreation equipment for the Youth Centre in Brunswick, and equipment to refurbish the hostel kitchen to ensure it complies with health and safety regulations.
Karabiner Outdoor Education
Early Intervention Outdoor Education Program
A 10-day wilderness experience for 10 boys aged between nine and 15, followed by nine months of on-going support and mentoring.
Sunshine Heights Cricket Club
Camp for the Junior Teams
The Sunshine Heights Cricket Club provides a positive and inclusive environment for all disadvantaged young people in the Sunshine community, including recently arrived refugees. The Junior Club Member camp at Camp Boomerang provides an opportunity for 45 children to take part in a range of exciting adventures to build upon and strengthen their camaraderie and respect for each other despite their differences.
Uniting Care Concern
Education Assistance Program
The program helps low-income families meet the education costs of secondary students going back to school.
No website available.
Warringa Park School
Alfresco Cafe
Warringa Park School provides education for students aged between five and 19 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability ranging from mild to profound. Funds enabled a dishwasher to be purchased and installed in the newly initiated School Cafe Project. The project, an extension of the VCAL program, aims to build the student’s work and life skills in preparation for employment after they have completed formal schooling.
Wesley Mission
Wesley Kids Under Kanvas - Camping Activities
Wesley Kids Under Kanvas provides school holiday camps, weekend camps and day outings for children, teenagers and young adults with a disability. All activities place an emphasis on the abilities rather than disabilities.
Yalari Limited
Sponsorship of an Indigenous Student
The Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship Program provides scholarships for Indigenous students to attend leading boarding schools in Australia. The vision of the program is to create opportunities for Indigenous students to receive a quality education so that they can reach their full potential. The aim is to provide scholarships for 250 students over 10 years, creating an alumni network of indigenous people who will become leaders in their chosen fields. Funds were provided under the scholarship program to sponsor a Victorian Indigenous student to board at Geelong Grammar.
August 2007
Duke of Edinburgh Award (Vic) Limited
Harnessing Our Volunteer Energy
Development and resourcing of a youth advisory group to increase youth participation and voluntarism within The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Victoria. The project focused on supporting disadvantaged young people to participate in the Award.
Echuca Specialist School
Swan Hill Sports Camp
Support for Special Schools from Mildura, Bendigo, Maryborough and Echuca to meet in Swan Hill to compete in an organised sports day. It camp gives students the chance to mix with their peers and display their athletic talents, reduces geographic isolation, and helps students feel they are a part of a broader social group.
Good Shepherd
Bridge Program
Through BRIDGE (Building Real Independent Development through Group Education), the Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service works closely with staff and students at Lynall Hall Community School, in Richmond, to help disadvantaged young people to stay connected to their school and community.
Redkite
Financial Assistance Program
Caring for a sick child, particularly one hospitalised a long way from home, can have a devastating effect on the family, financially and emotionally. The Financial Assistance Program helps with essential household and living expenses, emergency payments and child-specific costs, such as wigs and special-needs items.
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria
Let's Sailaway
Sailing programs for disadvantaged young people living and attending school in the Western suburbs of Melbourne.
Verney Road School
Australian History Discovery Trip
Verney Road School provides education programs to meet the needs of students with mild to profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in the emotional, behavioural, physical and sensory areas. The funding provided 44 students aged from 11 to 15 with a two night school excursion to Ballarat to learn more about Australian history.
No website available.
July 2007
Barwon Youth Accommodation Services (BYAS) (Now known as "Time for Youth")
Cafe Meals Club
Cafe Meals Club provides subsidised meals at cafes in Geelong and Colac to young people who are at risk. Members of the program who pay $3 at one of the member cafes are able to order a meal up to the value of $10. The aim is to provide opportunities for homeless young people to eat healthy food in a socially inclusive environment rather than consume high fat take-away food.
Croxton Specialist School
Family Dog Circus
Family Dog Circus provides young people with disabilities with experiential learning opportunities in a creative environment. The project aims to develop innovative improvisation process using accessible technical equipment. shared experiences and skill development. Family Dog Circus also host the Bow WOW! Festival in the northern suburbs of Melbourne for artistic exchange and networking, and provide access to training opportunities.
Taralye - The Oral Language Centre for Deaf Children
Outdoor Language Room
The Outdoor Language Room at the Taralye premises will help hearing-impaired children learn the vocabulary and language that accompanies outdoor activities. To make these activities meaningful for the deaf child, the outdoor room is based around a children’s character “Taralye Ted” who has a home and a backyard.
The Mirabel Foundation Inc.
Mirabel House Programs - Respite & Events
Provision of therapeutic respite care for children aged three to 12 who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use by one or both of their parents.
Travellers Aid Society of Victoria (TASV)
Homeward Bound Emergency Relief Program
Financial assistance and material aid to disadvantaged young people aged up to 21. The program aims to build and strengthen the capacity of marginalised young people and families, reuniting them whenever possible and where appropriate.
