Upcoming locations & dates
Palmerston
Saturdays | 2:30pm – 5:30pm
25 May & 1, 8, 15 June
Community Room, Palmerston Library
Katherine
Saturdays | 12:30 to 3:30 pm
25 May & 1, 8, 15 June
The Y, Henry Scott Recreation Centre
Darwin
School Holidays | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
24, 25, 26 & 27 June
Crest NT, Winnellie
Are you a young person aged 12 to 17?
Are you neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD, have sensory processing needs) or have experienced challenges that have affected your wellbeing?
Do you like trying new things, having fun and meeting new people?
Register your Interest
please register your interest in the Empowering YOUTH Program program by completing this online form. please click on the button below. 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.
The program is free, but places are limited.
Please contact Sarah at sarah@livedexperiencent.net or on 0474 426 326 for more information.
Program design
- A fun, interactive and hands on program!
- 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.
- 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.
- The NT Lived Experience Network has been funded by the NDIS (though young people do not need an NDIS Plan to participate)
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.
Want to understand more about the program?
Preview a sample of Session 1 of the Empowering YOUTH Program.
