Corrections turning teen lives around in Bay of Plenty

A new programme targeting Māori youth serving community sentences in the Eastern Bay of Plenty took place over two days at the end of March.

Te Korenga ki te Ao Marama Youth Resilience Programme saw 20 Māori men between the ages of 17 and 25 put through their paces for 12 hours by a group of providers passionate about helping young people turn their lives around.

Facilitated by a group consisting of a Probation Officer, Community Corrections Projects Coordinator, Adventure SolutioNZ Facilitator, Community Action Youth and Drug Coordinator, and a motivational youth speaker, the programme kicks off with an outdoor challenge intended to set the scene for the two days. The programme will support the participants to:

· experience and overcome challenges through shared adventure activities

· develop communication, problem solving and social skills

· explore a sense of self identity, Tikanga Māori concepts and ideologies

· strengthen self motivational techniques and strategies

· network to identify needs and engage with appropriate support services

Bay of Plenty Community Corrections District Manager Pauline Moran explains how the programme will work.

“The aim of the programme is to create an environment that will help offenders build resilience. It’s a holistic approach – first providing experiences to unbalance life and then teaching the skills that enable young people to re-balance.

The idea is that while participating in demanding interactive challenges, participants will build confidence and trust. They learn transferrable skills that can help them achieve employment, education or life goals.”

Pauline gives credit to her staff and Corrections’ partners for developing the concept.

“We have some really passionate people in this area who know that by helping our young people to identify and address issues they can create positive pathways for their future.”

The programme features guest speakers who have dealt with tough situations in their own lives and built resilience as a result. There are topics that deal with the impact of social media and encouraging possible education, training, employment and reintegration opportunities.

“If we really want to create safer communities and help these guys make positive change in their lives, we have to provide them with the tools they need. We need to motivate them to know who they are and where they come from to help start to build the foundation to move forward, linking with other Tikanga Māori support such as further programmes or mentors within the community,” says Pauline.

ENDS

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