Youth

After-School Care

After-school care is available to assist parents of primary school children.

Belyuen Youth Program

Activities and assistance for indigenous children and young people in the Belyuen community include after-school care and cooking, nutrition and personal-hygiene classes.

Budget Hostel Accommodation

A range of budget accommodation includes short-term,medium-term and long-term permanent and backpacker.

Child Care

Child care is provided to assist families of infants and preschool children 7 months to 5 years old.

Health & Fitness

Sport & recreation facilities for the community include personal training, teen gym for children & young people 13 to 15 years old, group-exercise classes, yoga, aerobics, cardio-exercise, weight-based exercises, disability programs and school programs. Health services including weight management, blood-pressure testing, rehabilitation services and nutrition education are also available.

Indoor & Outdoor Activities

Outdoor & indoor physical activities are available for children, young people, families and individuals. Activities may include softball & other outdoor games, an inflatable jumping castle, inflatable Twister and a roller-skating disco.

Indoor Skating

Physical activity in the form of indoor skating and blading is available and may include a roller-hockey competition.

Katherine Aquatic Centre

Physical activities include learn-to-swim and aqua-aerobics classes.

EDGYM

A fun-based program, lead by trained instructors, for families with preschool children 1 to 5 years old.

Leanyer Recreation Park

A free recreation park for the community including water slides and family events & holiday activities. AquaSafe learn-to-swim classes for infants and children 6 months to 12 years old are also available.

Palmerston Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre

Sport and recreation facilities for the community include a fifty metre pool, weights room, gym, disability health club, exercise classes and physiotherapy. AquaSafe learn-to-swim classes for infants & children 6 months to 12 years old are also available.

Palmerston Drop-In Centre

A drop-in centre for young people providing holiday programs, sport & recreation activities, discos, cooking, youth counselling & mentoring and education programs.

Palmerston Recreation Centre

Provides sport and recreation facilities for the community. Programs include health & fitness classes, comprehensive gym facility with the inclusion of disability friendly fitness equipment on site for use, injury rehabilitation programs available, casual child minding, Seniors programs, children’s programs, social sports competitions and facilities hire.

Palmerston Water Park

A free recreation park for the community including water slides and wet play areas for toddlers and children.

Vacation Care

Various holiday programs assist parents by providing recreation activities for primary-school children 5 to 12 years old.

Youth Diversion Program

The Program is provided as an alternative to court for children and young people who offended when they were under 18 years old. The program provides case management and is run in conjunction with the Youth in Communities program.

Youth in Communities

Provides case management and support for young people and their families in Katherine. Youth in Communities also coordinates a range of activities for National Youth Week and National Homelessness Matters Day.

Youth in Communities, FAST Program

The Families & Schools Together (FAST) program assists families to build supportive relationships and improve their communication skills in order to achieve better outcomes for children and family members.

Youth in Communities, Girls’ Program

Provides education and discussion for adolescent girls 12 to 18 years old on topics such as mental health, sexual health, drugs & alcohol, good decision-making and gaining access to local support services.

Youth in Communities, Youth Nights

Youth drop-in nights provide free dinner, activities and transport home for children, young people and families. Activities may include roller-skating, discos, table tennis, karaoke, computer games on the big screen and pool.  

Palmerston Youth Drop In Centre

The Palmerston Youth Drop In Centre is a youth-led, safe and empowering space for young people managed by the Y in partnership with Larrakia Nation. The Centre offers supervised activities, skill development, leadership opportunities, and targeted follow up for young people in Palmerston.

After School Programs during School Terms

A fun, safe space for young people to meet with friends and peers to try new activities, develop new skills and learn about topics relevant to young people. Activities are free and dinner is included. Guest speakers and groups are encouraged to come and get involved.

• Wednesday – Boys Nights 3.30pm – 7pm
• Thursday – Girls Nights 3.30pm – 7pm

Back2School Program

YMCA\’s Back2School program is a short term alternative education program for young people who have disengaged with school. Staff work with young people to identify their individual needs and goals. Goals are set for each young person and worked towards throughout their time in the Back2School program. These goals can be related to anything in a young person\’s life that they are wanting to work on. YMCA actively communicates with the young person\’s school, parents and other relevant agencies to work towards goals and set them up on a path towards success. Click here to learn more about this program.

Support for Young People through Case Management

YMCA also provides support to young people to work on their individual goals and needs. This may include assistance in finding work experience, employment or an apprenticeship, training, securing a driver\’s licence or accreditation, providing in-school support and social/emotional support.

School Holiday Programs

YMCA is the place to be in the school holidays! Our team works hard to create innovative, fun, interactive school holiday programs. To find out what is on offer this coming school holidays contact Palmerston Youth Space  youth.palmerston@ymca.org.au  or phone 8932 1096. YMCA would not be able to operate the Palmerston Youth Space without the support of our sponsors. Thank you to the Australian Government and Northern Territory Government for their ongoing support of YMCA’s programs for young people.

The Housing Support Programs consists of Independent Living – Medium Term Accommodation and Short Term Emergency Accommodation (up to 3 months) for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. YWCA is also available to offer outreach services to assist clients with maintaining existing tenancies.

The Youth Diversion Program diverts young people aged 10-17 away from the justice system, by providing case management and support to help them address the underlying reasons for their offending behaviour.

Every young person participating in the program helps develop their own individually tailored support plan, looking at all the factors contributing to the offence. These plans can include: their home environment, substance abuse, education, employment, health, financial, legal, family, accommodation or homelessness, transport, and their social networks.

The program is a collaboration between YWCA, Danila Dilba Health Services and the Northern Territory Youth Diversion Police Unit.