MacDonnell Regional Council – Youth Services Services

Youth Services aims to provide better opportunities for young people to grow up happy, healthy and strong. Youth Services works under a child safe program targeting young people aged 5-25 with a variety of activities such as sport and recreation, leadership and culture, safety and diversion, supporting jobs, education and training opportunities and staff development.

Youth Services works with more than 1,600 young people across 12 communities and employ more than 80 staff. 80% of our youth workers are local based Aboriginal employees who work more than 70% of the total hours. Youth Services operates 5 days per week from Tuesday until Saturday, 5-6 hours a day and provide 12 weeks of school holiday programs in each of the services communities.

Youth Services work with all stakeholders in community to support the needs and interests of young people and aim to take a community and family approach to our activities.

Youth Services delivers the following programs:

• Youth Development Program – funded by National Indigenous Australians Agency.
• Outside School Hours Learning Program – funded by National Indigenous Australians Agency. • Remote Sport Program – funded by Northern Territory Government.
• Volatile Substance Abuse Program – funded by the NT Department of Health.

MRC facilitates local Youth Boards across all communities. This initiative aims to enhance the leadership and governance skills of Indigenous youth, involving them in decision-making processes. These meetings discuss ideas for Youth Services programming and ensure that concerns are brought to the attention of the wider council and Local Authority Boards across various communities.

• Youth Services & Outside School Hours Learning Program
• Remote Sports Program
• Meeting the Youth Gap

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