Page 14 - AYC Annual Report 2017 - 2018

Youth Work &

Holiday Program

10.

Program: Community Builders

Auburn Youth Centre Inc. (AYC) has continued to cement its place at the Wyatt Park facility in the 2017/18 funded year, we are now
in our 4th year at this location. The facility has seen some significant upgrades, changes and expansions, and as a result we have
had the opportunity to grow the programs AYC provides. Every week, Monday through to Friday, AYC offers programs, activities
and individualised support at the centre for all young people aged 12 to 24 years of age.

We have continued our goal of delivering a more structured package of activities each afternoon as well as our ever-popular
drop-in program. This year we have included volleyball into our programs, this is a great way of engaging both young woman
and men. We thank ADSi for partnering in the delivery of this activity. Our music programs have been a key focus with the
School of Sounds project teaching young people how to play instruments and express themselves lyrically. Thank you to our
wonderful volunteer Phillipe. Our music production program has focused on 1 to 1 support of
young people to create their own recordings in our studio. This program has many benefits
with young people gaining technical knowledge and again having the opportunity to express
themselves through music. Our own Milz and volunteers Joel and Louis have been fantastic.

Some of the most popular activities for young people in 2017/18 were:
• Indoor Soccer competitions- 184 participants
• School of Sound – 132 participants
• Dish ‘n’ Dish - Cooking Skills - 46 participants
• Music Mentoring and Production – 61 participants
• Study Sessions - 97 participants
• Volley Ball 112 participants
• Martial Arts (Sporting Linx) 121 participants

Young people also have a great opportunity to work with a range of different youth
workers. Workers with different skill sets and different backgrounds. Our team has a
diverse range of interests and skills. We see our activities as both skill development and a
way for youth workers to engage with young people in a collaborative environment. Each
of our team is focused on supporting young people to make positive life choices and to
overcome the barriers that confront them in life. The relationships youth workers build
with young people is the core of our work at AYC.

We have seen many changes occur for young people. We have seen very quiet and isolated young people form friendships with
others whom they would never had talked to outside the centre. We have observed some of our older youth take on informal
mentoring roles to the younger people. We have watched the older youth engage the younger into sport, we have even seen
them let the younger ones win. Our work is often about bringing young people together and making community, this fits tightly
with our vision of “a harmonious community where young people belong and have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams.”

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