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Empowering YOUTH Program

Palmerston

Saturdays | 2:30pm – 5:30pm
27 April & 4, 11 and 18 May
Community Room, Palmerston Library

Darwin

Saturdays | 2:30pm – 5:30pm
25 May & 1, 8, 15 June
Crest NT, Winnellie

Katherine

Saturdays | 9:00am– 12:00pm
25 May & 1, 8, 15 June
To be advised

Are you a young person aged 12 to 17?
Do you have diverse abilities and like trying new things?
Do you like having fun and meeting new people?
Register here to attend the Empowering YOUTH Program

The Empowering YOUTH Program is for young people with diverse abilities.  It’s a fun and interactive program run by young adults who have their own diverse abilities and have helped to create the program!

The NT Lived Experience Network has been funded by the NDIS to run Empowering YOUTH Programs in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine and Alice Springs.  

Each program is full of interactive activities that will be run over 4 x 3 hour sessions with lots of breaks included.  Participation is free and you do not require a NDIS plan to participate.  Click here to see a sample of the program or read on to find out more!

Register your Interest:

Register your interest for the Empowering YOUTH Program by completing the Online Registration, or downloading and returning the Registration Form.

After we have received your registration, we will get in touch to confirm that a place is available. 

Once your place is confirmed, we will arrange a time to speak with the young person and their caregiver about the ways our program facilitators can support the young person to participate and enjoy the program.

Upcoming Alice Springs Program Details:

Week 1 of the Term 3 School Holidays. 

  • Tuesday 26th of September, 9:00am-12:00pm
  • Wednesday the 27th of September, 9:00am-12:00pm
  • Thursday the 28th of September, 9:00am-12:00pm
  • Friday the 29th of September, 9:00am-12:00pm
 
To register for the Alice Springs Program:
Alice Springs Program Flyer

Program Design:

The Empowering YOUTH Program has been created by the NT Lived Experience Network for young people with diverse abilities aged 12 to 17.  We know that the adolescent years can be tough when your way of thinking, being or interacting in the world is different from most other young people your age.  

The Empowering YOUTH Program is designed to inform and empower young people with diverse abilities to feel proud of their diversity, that their unique abilities are valuable and they are part of a much broader network of people in the NT who also have diverse abilities.  

Youth mentors who have who have their own diverse abilities were central to the development of the program and will support its delivery across the NT.  Each program will be delivered over 4 x 3-hour sessions with lots of breaks, lots of fun and lots of hands on, creative activities.  

Want to understand more about the program?

Preview a sample of Session 1 of the Empowering YOUTH Program here.

Program overview:

Session 1: Coming together & celebrating our diversity

During this session we will focus on getting to know each other and explore our ways of working together to make the program safe, fun and enjoyable for all.  We will celebrate the differences and similarities within our group as a starting point to explore the concept of ‘diversity’ and why it makes our world a better place to live in.  We will find out what it means to be a ‘peer’ and how accessing ‘peer support’ by connecting with others who also have diverse abilities is both strengthening and empowering.  The program will end with some creative activities which explore who we are and what makes up our identity. 

Session 2: Creating our own planet

This session is an imaginative and creative exploration of everything that is important to us through the creation of our very own planet.  If there were no limits and you had infinite abilities, what kind of planet would you create to live on?  The ‘create your own planet’ activity is designed to creatively explore: our likes/dislikes; what’s meaningful and important to us; what we do to enjoy ourselves; what we do to cope when we have had a bad day; and the people and places that are important to us. 

Session 3: Feeling good & living well

During this session we will learn about mental health and wellbeing.  This will include: ways of thinking that are helpful (and unhelpful); what we can do to improve wellbeing; how to know if we are not coping; and who to go to for support.  We will also learn about our rights, how to speak up for ourselves and find support when we need it to make sure our rights are upheld.

Session 4: Celebrating our achievements

In the final session, we will reflect on our time together, what we have learned about each other and the benefits of being part of a diverse community.  This session will be a celebration of our strengths and everything we have achieved. 

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