Planting Seeds of Hope: How Community and Care Are Re-engaging Gippsland’s Youth

This year, the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central supported Gippsland Youth Spaces Inc. by assisting them in purchasing food to make meals for students, fuel for transporting students, and room hire to enable the Re-engage Program to operate in Term 4, 2024 and Term 1, 2025.

The program supported young people in identifying and addressing barriers to school attendance, working with youth workers and mentors and linking them with local specialised support services.

Through a District Grant, using funds from The Rotary Foundation, we enabled Gippsland Youth Spaces Inc. to support 13- to 16-year-olds (Years 7-10) at risk of less than 30% school attendance and facing truancy.

Using the Grant funds and Club monies from fundraising, we contributed food, fuel, and room hire costs to ensure the Re-engage Program operated for Term 4 2024 and all of Term 1 2025.

Our Club has developed a working relationship with GYS in the past year. We have visited the Morwell premises, met with young people, sponsored a participant to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, mentored participants, and connected them to our new Satellite Club, resulting in two memberships. As part of this District Grant, a club member supported the GYS Board of Management.

The Re-engage Program delivered 45 targeted sessions across Term 4, 2024 and Term 1, 2025, engaging 26 individual participants and recording 158 total attendances. These numbers reflect sustained engagement and consistent participation from young people who have previously struggled with mainstream education, mental health challenges, social disconnection, and other complex barriers.

It's been a privilege to support young people to overcome their initial barriers to education through:

• food and nutrition to ensure they are ready to learn – no longer hungry

• ability to access the program via transport – able to get there

• a space to attend the program – learning and study room