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Reach

With the most influential group for teenagers being their peers, Reach’s Crew are young leaders trained to effectively engage and inspire other young people.

  • Project: Future-proofing Reach: investing in our crew to support more young Australians through COVID-19 and beyond
  • Amount: $50,000
  • Year(s) Funded: 2021
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Reach Crew in their weekly online training during lockdown. Photo: courtesy Reach.

I liked that the questions were ones that we wouldn’t usually be asked and it made me think a bit deeper than usual and made me feel more connected and normal.

REACH PROGRAM PARTICIPANT

As the world navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic, children and young people in Australia are living through unparalleled times. It is clear that COVID-19 has impacted young Australians, but it is unclear how long this impact will last. Reach has a long and proud history of nurturing young leaders. Its Crew deliver group workshops to develop the social and emotional wellbeing of young people, inspiring them to be their best selves and develop the resilience that is critical to meeting life’s challenges, something that is more important than ever in a COVID-19 world.

The grant enabled Reach to recruit an additional 15 young leaders into its Crew Development Program, as well as build the capacity of its current Crew cohort. The Crew are trained to identify and assist young people to understand the range of common experiences and responses to growing up in a way that enables them to translate these life challenges to an audience of 10-18 year olds. The full training of Crew members takes between 2-3 years and consists of a range of experiential programs and opportunities, both within and outside of Reach, for learning and self-reflection. Each crew member has the potential to impact the lives of up to 500 young Australians each year.

reach.org.au