A youth co-design and place activation project in South Hedland, working with local First Nations young people and a broad coalition of community organisations to co-create public space improvements along Wise Terrace, resulting in the Youth Changemaking Program - now a guide for First Nations student community engagement and volunteering.
Town Team Movement joined up with Follow the Dream (Polly Farmer Foundation); Spinifex Hill Studios; the Town of Port Hedland; the RAC; Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation; Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation; Youth Involvement Council and Volunteering WA to work with local First Nations peoples to create an iterative, collaborative process to co-create a makeover of Wise Terrace in South Hedland, Western Australia.
- Built a broad collaborative partnership with eight local organisations including Follow the Dream, Spinifex Hill Studios, the Town of Port Hedland, Julyardi and Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporations, and others to co-create a public space makeover of Wise Terrace in South Hedland
- Developed an iterative, collaborative process centred on working with local First Nations young people from the ground up - with no predetermined outcomes
- Facilitated ideation, co-design, and co-creation sessions that educated and supported young people to design and deliver the public space improvements themselves
- Took a strengths-based approach, building on community strengths and opportunities and bringing First Nations culture into the public realm
- Formed authentic relationships with the community, investing time and resources to build genuine connections before and throughout the project
- Focused on building capacity - developing leadership skills, teamwork, and confidence in young people throughout the process
- The project became the Youth Changemaking Program, now used as a guide for First Nations student community engagement and volunteering
- Participants reported a stronger sense of belonging, pride, connection with peers, and achievement upon completing the project
