Youth Engagement
Woden Youth Centre
Through the Woden Youth Centre, we are able to support thousands of young people across Canberra.
Despite the development of the new Woden Bus Station and CIT Woden campus temporarily creating barriers to access, we have continued to engage more young people and families into our vibrant, safe, and accessible space at the Woden Youth Centre.
The centre continues to provide a means of central access for youth engagement services for young people, including people who access weekly drop-in sessions, case work and many other services on-site.
1,000+
young people engaged
100+
drop-in attendees
Family Case Management
The Family Case Management team worked tirelessly to support families from the south Canberra region; this included initiatives such as a Muslim Mothers playgroup, supporting the Gymbaroo and Lyons Early Childhood playgroups, supporting vital research conducted by ANU, and the provision of two school holiday programs for children from vulnerable families.
Other supports included the Woden Children's Fair and attendance of the inaugural Child First Forum.
5+
families supported
2+
children attended school holiday programs
2+
Christmas hampers delivered
Raw Potential
The Raw Potential team continued to deliver its exceptionally high quality and bespoke outreach case management model to Canberra's most vulnerable young people. The program is a unique model that brings together the community and private sector to support young people in need.
2+
Young people engaged with Raw Connection Program
2+
Outreach Case Management provided to young people
5+
RSA/RCG training delivered to young people
RSA: Responsible Service of Alcohol
RCG: Responsible Conduct of Gambling
Community programs and events
Events and programs run by our Youth Engagement Team consistently show high demand and engagement from the community.
Throughout the year, our team engaged in many different programs and events to reach out to the community and expand its outreach to more young people.
We continued to host annual events where young people could gather in a safe and supportive environment. We had great numbers attending our Christmas celebration and 2025 Sunset Festival, with various local organisations supporting and partaking in our mission.
The team also provided many opportunities for young people to socialise and provide pathways towards leading successful lives. Notably, our free ACT Pre-Learner Licence Course was popular during school holiday programs. In partnership with Access Training Canberra, we also trained and certified young people in Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) certifications, opening doors to employment opportunities.
Celebrating excellence
We are proud to celebrate our team's excellence at the 2024 Annual YOGIE Awards
Stacey Bright: Winner, Outstanding Youth Worker
Jeremy Leala: Youth Work Champion, recognised for over 10 years of dedicated service
Joel Artup: Youth Coalition Staff Acknowledgement Award
Their dedication and achievements continue to inspire and make an incredible impact in our community.
Other programs and initiatives
Network Coordination
Network Coordination works with services and organisations to identify gaps in service delivery.
It connects assets within the community to improve the wellbeing, community participation and social inclusion of vulnerable children and families.
Our Network Coordinator coordinates several initiatives designed to meet the community's needs.
Southside Initiative
The Southside Initiative is a joint collaboration between WCS, YWCA Canberra, Community Services #1, and Communities at Work.
The Initiative aims to develop community-driven solutions for vulnerable children aged birth to eight years, and their families.
The Southside Initiative has held two forums, increased access to the early literacy program for parents, and developed web pages with free parenting courses and family support services in the ACT.
PERKS parenting workshops
We run a number of PERKS parenting workshops throughout the year.
The PERKS program brings together organisations such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Relationships Australia, and the Conflict Resolution Service to facilitate seminars and peer groups for families on issues such as anger management, family conflict, health, and wellbeing.