Community Development Division
The Community Development Division plays a lead role in the facilitation of community development programs and activities within our Branches. This team of dedicated individual’s works across a broad range of projects, offering many benefits for our Branches and their communities including: crime prevention and community safety; education and employment training and youth development and leadership programs, whilst ensuring the unique character of the individual Branch is preserved.
Key areas of implementation for the Community Development Division include: fostering participation and facilitating the establishment of ongoing relationships between community groups and our Branches; encouraging other agencies and community groups to participate as partners in programs and activities; and seeking additional resources from external sources to assist our Branches to meet their needs.
Youth development and leadership is a key expression of PCYCs objectives to encourage the principles of good citizenship and to awaken citizens to their responsibilities toward adolescents. State-wide programs and activities offered to our Branches by the Community Development Division include:
- Youth Management Teams
A Youth Management Team (YMT) is a group of young people who act as an advisory body to PCYC Management and collectively suggest and organise PCYC activities. Located at most Branches, YMTs provide opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills and abilities through practice. Once a team is established, the benefit to our Branches and the community is only limited by the enthusiasm and imagination of the young people who make up the Team. YMTs are encouraged to work with their Community Partnerships Coordinator to take part in as many activities and programs as possible, to allow them to meet and exchange ideas, make new friends and form bonds between other Teams across the State.
- State Youth Leadership Program
What can be more important than developing and shaping our future leaders? The State Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) is a sequence of residential programs facilitated by staff from Adventure Development and the Community Development Division. The Program is essentially a leadership training program designed for young people involved with PCYCs throughout Queensland. The program explores effective and emotionally intelligent leadership skills in a fun, challenging and safe environment. Young people are able to practice, play and plan for leadership, extending themselves and their confidence through these experiences.
This program is designed to prepare young people for a more active role in their PCYC; however it also assists young people in skills for school life, community and future work. By investing in individuals, are investing in communities. There are opportunities after programs for participants to be more involved with their PCYC Branches and apply what they’ve learnt to real life situations.
The three (3) different levels of the State Youth Leadership Program are: Level 1 – Personal Development Course; Level 2 – Leadership Development Course; Level 3 – Community Development Course.
- The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a personal challenge and, as every individual is different, so too are the challenges that young people can undertake to achieve their Award. The Award encourages young people to explore their interests, abilities and ambitions and then set themselves a challenge in each of the four (4) sections of the Award. Anyone between the ages of 14 and 25 years can get started in the Award.
The Award is offered at three (3) levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level provides young people with opportunities to develop their skills and interests across a range of activities in four (4) sections: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey. As young people move through the Award levels they will face greater challenges which require of young people a greater level of commitment. Whilst the young person will need strong support from adult mentors in the early stages, the Award will increasingly offer the young person opportunities to take responsibility for their Award activities as they progress through the program.
At the completion of each level of the Award the young person will receive an Award Certificate which recognises their personal achievements. The Award Certificate is also recognised internationally and is testament to young people all over the world who strive for personal development and leadership. Young people who complete the Award Program are also able to bank credits toward the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).
- Catalyst
This is our own Program for at-risk young people. It is funded by the Queensland Blue Light Association Inc. who has a strong focus on providing support to young people at-risk and their families. The Catalyst Program aims to encourage and support young people to make positive changes in their lives.
Facilitated by our Adventure Development Unit, we recognise that it takes a community to raise a young person, drawing together the skills of parents, carer, teachers and community members to support adolescents. We apply this belief in the delivery of Catalyst. The financial support of Blue Light enables PCYC to form a close partnership with selected Education Queensland Schools. A robust partnership approach is adopted with behaviour management units within selected schools. The Catalyst Program becomes part of a longer process to affect positive change within the school and community.
Adventure Development provides a seven (7) day intervention in the form of an outdoor experience as part of the change process. They also provide parent training to support the parents of the young people involved.
Basketball After Dark is our night-time basketball Program that is scheduled on consecutive Friday or Saturday nights. The Program is based on the concept started in inner-cities in America under the name of Midnight Basketball. It has become a phenomenon in the USA with over fifty (50) large scale inner-city programs. The events are complete with Hip Hop beats and prizes. Basketball After Dark is an all-ages event.
Basketball After Dark focuses on providing a safe, healthy, fun and relaxed environment at a time when other suitable entertainment opportunities are unavailable to young people in the community. The program currently includes the involvement of basketball legend and ex-NBL player Andre Moore as well as highly skilled players from the Australian Basketball League (ABA). These prominent players have been selected to be positive role models and coaches for the participants.
- Youth Delegates
A Youth Delegate is the elected member of the Branch Management Committee responsible for ensuring that the voice of their local peers is heard at the Branch management level. Youth Delegates are aged between 16 and 25 years of age at the time of their election or appointment to the Management Committee. He or she is preferably an older representative or Facilitator from the Branch Youth Management Team (YMT) who is able to present to the rest of the Management Committee issues effecting young people in their local area as well as playing an advisory role to the Management Committee on activities and events being conducted for young people in their local community. Youth Delegates are considered a key contact person for passing on and receiving information from young people on a range of topics.
- State Youth Forum
Held bi-annually, the State Youth Forum provides an opportunity for young people to come together from PCYCs across Queensland to connect, to network and to share information and ideas.
A number of Coordinators are employed across the State. For more information on any of our community development Programs, please contact the relevant Coordinator listed below:
Zone 1 – Michelle Lindley, email: michelle.lindley@pcyc.org.au
Bayside, Caboolture, Carindale, Deception Bay, Fortitude Valley, Hills District, Inala, Lang Park, Mt. Gravatt, Redcliffe, Redlands, Sunshine Coast and South Burnett PCYC Branches.
Zone 2 – Stephen Tillston, email: stephen.tillston@pcyc.org.au
Ashmore, Beenleigh, Crestmead, Dalby, Gold Coast, Goondiwindi, Ipswich, Logan City, Nerang, Pine Rivers, Sandgate, Toowoomba and Zillmere PCYC Branches.
Zone 3 – Ellie Tarver, email: ellie.tarver@pcyc.org.au
Biloela, Blackwater, Bowen, Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton and Whitsundays PCYC Branches.
Zone 4 – Rebecca Pola, email: rebecca.pola@pcyc.org.au
Cairns, Castle Hills, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Innisfail, Mt. Isa, Mareeba, Townsville and Upper Ross PCYC Branches.
For Palm Island, Mornington Island and Yarrabah PCYC Branches, please contact andy.cassidy@pcyc.org.au