Through our work , we know that far too many of our children , young people and their families have life experiences and memories that are sad and disturbing . We are committed to ensuring that our kids also have good memories .
Our New ‘ Positive Memory Bank ’
Through our work , we know that far too many of our children , young people and their families have life experiences and memories that are sad and disturbing . We are committed to ensuring that our kids also have good memories .
We created a new Youth Empowerment position , to help develop the idea of a Positive Memory Bank and look at ways of involving young people in the design and delivery of our programs .
We want to build on our current programs to grow our Memory Bank .
The Annual Foster Care Camp at Anglesea , which is held in January each year , and involves 230 people ( 129 children and young people , 51 foster carers , 50 volunteers and staff ) in a week of structured activities , as well as providing a first holiday for some of the children .
The Gippsland Wilderness Program , provides a challenging eight day wilderness experience and follow up program for 64 young people aged between 12 and 15 at risk of dropping out of school . The program runs four times a year and has achieved great success with 84 % of the young people remaining in school .
After months of planning , our dedicated staff took 11 young people to the Northern Territory . Staying in an Aboriginal boarding school , visiting a crocodile park , a fishing expedition and a trip to the Tiwi Islands Football Grand Final , were experiences they would never have dreamed possible .
Each of the young people was given their own DVD of the trip and invited to a special dinner prepared by the young people in Our Kid ’ s Kitchen and attended by the Child Safety Commissioner , Bernie Geary .
Road-2-Safety . Obtaining a driver ’ s licence is an important rite of passage for all young people , as well as a means to employment , especially in rural areas . For most of the young people with whom we work , this is a distant dream , as they don ’ t have the family support , access to a car or confidence to prepare for a driving test . With the generous support of the RACV and Subaru , we piloted a program in Morwell . Nine young people enrolled in the 8 week program , learning about responsible driving . Each young person was then matched with a mentor to undertake the 120 hours driving required . The evaluation demonstrated the value of the program in increasing young people ’ s self-esteem , as well as developing responsible driving behaviour . “ Feels great to drive around … made a new friend [ with my mentor ]… can ’ t wait to get up and go for a drive ...”
Image top : Young people enjoying a swim in the Northern Territory Image above Left : Jasmine with her croc friend in Darwin
Berry Street Annual Report 2007