Empowering Youth Initiative

Young leaders in Cunderdin are stepping up, and thanks to the support of the Mt Burdett Foundation, they’re doing it with confidence, purpose and real-world skills. Through funding from the Rural and Regional Advancement Foundation, the Cunderdin Community Resource Centre (CRC) delivered the Empowering Youth Initiative, a targeted leadership and personal development program for members of the local Youth Council. 

Running from March to November 2024, the initiative focused on equipping young people with the tools they need to become active contributors to their community. The program featured a series of hands-on workshops designed to build essential skills in governance, grant writing, mental health awareness, and teamwork. 

Although one of the five planned workshops was unfortunately cancelled due to facilitator unavailability, the remaining four workshops delivered powerful outcomes. 

• Grant Writing Workshop - Youth Councillors learned how to write compelling funding applications. The skills paid off quickly with successful grants secured for a community mural and a multicultural food festival. 

• Committee Roles & Responsibilities - This workshop taught the principles of good governance, task delegation, and meeting protocols, all crucial for any aspiring leader. 

• Mental Health Mindset Coaching - Participants explored how to support themselves and others through mental health challenges, laying the groundwork for a more compassionate community culture. 

• Teamlab Field Day - An interactive session to strengthen communication, leadership, and problem solving skills, designed to build stronger cohesion among Youth Councillors. 

In addition to the workshops, Youth Councillors attended the Zero2Hero Youth Conference, where they engaged in breakout sessions on vaping, healthy relationships, stress management, and self love, reinforcing the mental health themes of the program. 

The initiative has shown lasting effects. Youth Councillors are actively participating in council discussions, school leadership, community projects, and events like the Road Safety Campaign. They played a key role in shaping the Shire’s Youth Strategy Plan and were instrumental in securing funding for local initiatives, demonstrating how young voices can have a powerful impact. 

The CRC team plan to revisit the initiative, with a goal to build even more leadership capacity among local youth. The success of this project has also sparked ideas for continued collaboration with the Mt Burdett Foundation, especially in the area of youth mental health. 

The Mt Burdett Foundation is proud to back initiatives like the Empowering Youth Initiative that support the growth and potential of young leaders in regional communities. If you are apart of a community group with a vision for local impact, we encourage you to explore our Rural and Regional Advancement Foundation grants. Let’s continue building a future where young people have the confidence and skills to lead. 

www.mtburdettfoundation.org.au/