Young people and families from around Mansfield Park are coming together to learn what it means to create a vibrant community — nurturing those younger than themselves and supporting each other.
The Junior Youth Group meets every week, and the whole neighbourhood is invited to Community Days.
More community days to come. Get in touch and we'll tell you about the next one.
It's for 12 to 15-year-olds. Small groups meet regularly with an older role model working through a sequence of texts alongside conversation, arts, sport, and service to the community.
Between the ages of 12 and 15, young people go through important physical, intellectual, and emotional changes. They begin to think more deeply, ask more questions, and see the world in new ways. This is an important time to help them use their growing abilities to serve others and contribute to their community.
Everything in the programme is built around three aims
Building the confidence and the language to think clearly and speak up about what matters.
Learning to look past appearances — at the world, and at people — with more insight and less judgement.
Working out your own sense of right and wrong, and finding the strength to act on it when it's hard.
Groups work through the 14 junior youth texts developed by the Ruhi Institute — you can read more about them at ruhi.org. Alongside the study, junior youth put what they learn into practice through service to their own community: community days, tree planting, helping younger kids in the neighbourhood, and homework clubs.
Conversation, study, creative work, sport, and community projects.
We talk about what matters to us — the neighbourhood, our goals, and what we can actually do about either.
Creative activities that let you think differently, express what you care about, and connect with people you'd never normally meet.
Getting active together is one of the fastest ways to break the ice and build a bit of team spirit.
They study texts which consist of simple stories about the lives of young people in different parts of the world, helping the group explore moral concepts. They also complete exercises that help them develop their English, Science and Maths.
With the help of animators, the group learns to think about the needs of the community to design and carry out a project that makes their neighbourhood a better place.
We asked the junior youth in our group what they'd tell a friend about it. These are their answers, unedited.
"In the book there are many different scenarios where people think about others. You're reading it and it kind of just gets in your head — and then you remember to think about someone else, to care for someone while also caring for yourself."
"First we go to the library, then after we go to the park — we either play basketball or soccer, or paint. It's fun. And you can make new friends."
"We have a book, and every person reads, and then we answer questions. It's helped me with getting along with other people — and you make friends."
Every idea we talk about, someone ends up painting. The arts are how the group thinks out loud — and how what we're learning makes its way out into the neighbourhood.
Everyone is carrying something valuable inside — you just have to look for it.
A ring of people around a sun. Same crowd, seen twice — once in shadow, once in light.
A figure standing between the two — the hard colours behind, the bright ones ahead.
Community days, service projects and what the group's been up to — it all goes up on Instagram first.
Junior youth, the older youth who walk alongside them, and the families who back them all have a part to play.
Meet with a small group of friends to study, create, play sport and carry out projects that make the neighbourhood better.
When and where
Walk alongside a group of younger kids as their older role model — and grow a lot yourself along the way.
What's involved
The group's success depends on families too. Get to know the animators, help shape the group, and back its projects.
For familiesWhether you're 12 and keen to join a group, 15 or older and ready to be an animator, or a parent who wants to know more — reach out. We reply to every message.
Email info@youthsa.org.auJunior Youth Group: every Wednesday, 3pm – 4pm, The Parks Library. Free.
Or message us on Instagram — @theparkscommunity
