Remember Your Dreaming’s: Young Warriors Program
Tracks
.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Community
Future Directions
Meaningful engagement
Wellness / Well Being
| Monday, November 11, 2024 |
| 9:00 AM - 9:20 AM |
Speaker
Terence Donovan
NEURA
Remember Your Dreaming’s: Young Warriors Program
Abstract
Intergenerational programs contribute to healthy ageing and social and emotional wellbeing across the life-course. A successful example of this is the Young Warriors program – a ground-up youth engagement program, initiated by Aboriginal Elders in the Nambucca Valley region. It is a pilot 12-day program that has been designed by Aboriginal men and Elders of the Southern Gumbaynggirr Men’s group, with staff from Miimi Aboriginal Corporation.
The program's primary goal is to target young Aboriginal adolescent boys who are currently attending school but are at-risk of dropping out. The program aims to support them with the guidance, focus, skills and support that re-direct them to not only stay at school but encourage them to become student leaders. It aims to build their self-respect and confidence and increase school attendance.
The program achieves its goals by providing the time and space within the school system for young people to form relationships with Elders and similar-aged boys in their community and develop meaningful connections to their country. Elders, in turn, are able to pass on knowledge and wisdom to younger generations, which is an important aspect of ageing well.
The program has been run successfully with strong engagement from the boys who have participated to date. The program represents an important step in collaboration between schools and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. This presentation will share more about the Young Warriors program and highlight the experiences and outcomes of the boys who have participated, as well as the Elders and others running the program.
The program's primary goal is to target young Aboriginal adolescent boys who are currently attending school but are at-risk of dropping out. The program aims to support them with the guidance, focus, skills and support that re-direct them to not only stay at school but encourage them to become student leaders. It aims to build their self-respect and confidence and increase school attendance.
The program achieves its goals by providing the time and space within the school system for young people to form relationships with Elders and similar-aged boys in their community and develop meaningful connections to their country. Elders, in turn, are able to pass on knowledge and wisdom to younger generations, which is an important aspect of ageing well.
The program has been run successfully with strong engagement from the boys who have participated to date. The program represents an important step in collaboration between schools and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. This presentation will share more about the Young Warriors program and highlight the experiences and outcomes of the boys who have participated, as well as the Elders and others running the program.
Biography
Terry identifies as a Gumbayngirr/Biripai man. His father was a Gumbayngirr man and his mother a Biripai woman. Terry has had a diverse career, from military service, working in local government and not-for-profit community services to providing education to health professionals on Aboriginal Cultural awareness. Additionally, Terry worked with the National Parks & Wildlife Service of NSW as one of 3 Aboriginal Sites Officers. As an Aboriginal sites officer, he travelled to all Aboriginal communities in NSW and collected information about Aboriginal Sacred sites, Aboriginal occupational sites and Aboriginal history & Culture. This process was to instigate registration and preservation as a sacred site. He has also worked, as a lecturer in TAFE, an Aboriginal Case Worker- Youth Support, an Aboriginal Housing Corporation Coordinator, a team Leader and laborer on Nambucca Shire Council and an outreach worker with the North Coast Primary Health Network.
Terry is a much-valued member of the Koori Growing Old Well Study team on the Mid North Coast and is employed as a Senior Knowledge Translation Officer.
