About the project
This Resource Guide was developed as part of the evidence based research and evaluation project that monitored four pilot Arts Pathways projects in 2003. It aims to assist the development and delivery of future programs that focus on at risk youth and those who are at-risk of being disengaged or have been disengaged from schooling, vocational education and training, or the labour market.
Each program was specifically designed to encourage young people who are not currently in education, training and employment to re-engage with education or employment. Independent researchers were engaged to monitor and evaluate each program in order to document strategies and practice that successfully engaged young people.
The Arts Pathways Initiative targeted 15-17 year old at-risk youth, specifically those who are experiencing at least two or more of the following factors:
- at risk of leaving school early or early school leavers due to lack of success from a traditional schooling approach
- recently released from or are exiting youth detention centres
- experiencing compounded issues and are at risk of being formally excluded or suspended from school
- disengaged (due to a variety of compounding access factors) from any formal education, training or employment pathways
- experiencing barriers (such as teen pregnancy or parenting)
- living outside a stable support unit, that is, homeless or at risk of homelessness
- at risk of self-harm/suicide or misusing substance
- dealing with significant trauma and/or family conflict.
Pilot Arts Pathways Projects also specifically and explicitly designed learning strategies for young people who belonged to the following equity groups: Australian South Sea Islanders, Indigenous people, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people with a disability, and women.
Empirical evidence from the four pilot projects were analysed to identify strategies that successfully re-engaged young people in learning. The following key strategies emerged from the research:
- building partnerships
- re-building relationships and trust
- designing curriculum for learning through the arts
- scaffolding for successful outcomes
- flexible frameworks for learning.
Contact Apprenticeships info 1800 210 210 or Training Queensland 1300 369 935
Other languages