Practice Note
Rural Youth Revitalisation Project
Ken Gold
Rural Youth Revitalisation Steering Committee
Denise M Reghenzani
Global Learning Services, member of Rural Youth Revitalisation Steering Committee, QLD
PP: 189 - 191
Article Text
For virtually 60 years, a Rural Youth movement existed in Queensland to comprehensively cater for the personal development, leadership and community engagement needs of rural and regional young adults. Changing times impacted and there has been a dearth in meeting lifelong learning aspirations (desired and/or discovered) as had been realised by this non-profit organisation. It was the ability to build capacity and provide informal learning opportunities that provided the essential next generation capital to sustain communities in the long term, in a consistent and holistic way that the Rural Youth body nurtured.
Rural Youth is an international organisation that continues strongly in some Australian states and many overseas countries. It is highly regarded by anyone involved over the years: members, advisors, retreat leaders, learning camp organisers, competition/exchange trainers and judges, private company donors, councillors, to government decision makers, as fostering a pool of talented reliable, responsible and effective citizens of today and for tomorrow.
The inception of Rural Youth in 1947 emanated from a Committee of Enquiry and was facilitated through organisers within the then State Government Department of Public Instruction (subsequently the Department of Education), with a range of industry sponsors. However, essentially inactive since 1992, with only a few clubs in the south-east of the state running until 2004, the needs and issues confronting young people in regional and rural Queensland indicate gaps in opportunities to interact and access services for 15-30 year olds.
Interest has mounted in reforming the network to serve once again the developmental personal and place interests of young adults from all walks of life to improve identity capital and social, cultural and economic vitality. Non-sectarian, non-political and with a motto to 'learn by doing', groups are self-governing and supported to manage a range of balanced activities, non-formal learning, as well as engage through modern technologies.
From the successful 60th anniversary reunions, a steering committee of former Rural Youth members and organisers achieved a Queensland Government Blueprint for the Bush Our Place, Our Future grant to explore the revitalisation of the Organisation. After initial research by consultants Dr Ian Plowman and Ms Jenny Winn, a pilot groups phase will be established in 2009.
Challenges and connections
In seeking assistance and undertaking initial outreach, the following informed deliberations and helped identify the challenges ahead with the interconnectivity required between the multiple issues needing addressing by and for young adults in rural and regional Queensland:
- The State of the Regions Report 2008-2009 by the Australian Local Government Association, which identified factors and sought collaborative action from all levels of government, particularly relevant being:
tendency for young Australians to avoid the knowledge - intensive regions and head north and west to resource and lifestyle regions, or overseas to knowledge-intensive regions in other countries. Young adults from overseas (including overseas returned Australians) are seeking their future in the knowledge-intensive regions of Australia . . . point to an increasing divergence between the cosmopolitan knowledge-intensive core-city regions and the relatively poorly-educated periphery. - The Outback 2006 project which presented the opportunity to provide innovative ideas and solutions to the important issues facing the nation's youth in rural, regional and remote areas resulting in the Outback Youth Infront, Their Voice - Australia's Future report detailing future planning and design for projects, especially in issues relating to:
- community: lack of community spirit and sense of belonging, community and political divisions, and intolerance with problems relating to personal health and wellbeing in the community, including youth suicide and mental health, boredom, lack of direction and negative self-worth, teenage pregnancies, and poor role models
- crime and violence: including sexual violence
- difficulty of meeting and developing relationships with young people: especially if someone was new to the area, because of a gender imbalance and the number of young people leaving the community; and
- need to attract people back to the region: after they had completed their studies (or gained life experience) elsewhere.
- An empirical investigation, Innovation in Rural Queensland (The University of Queensland Business School and the Department of Primary Industries, 2004), on why some rural communities thrive and others languish: listing 15 strengths and areas for improvement.
- The Committee of Australian Governments' (COAG) strong human capital strand in the national reform agenda foreseeing the enhancement of engagement among young rural people as a significant element in achieving goals therein. In addition, the Ministerial Council for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in reviewing the Declaration for Adult and Community Education seeks to understand and encompass frameworks that aid access and innovation for bodies engaged in adult learning (this includes young adult learning that can be met by the Rural Youth Organisation's inherent personal development and learning programs in achieving lifelong learning needs for personal and community enrichment).
- Young people are identified in the Queensland Government Suicide Prevention Strategy 2003-2008, as one of the priority populations in action plans to sustain a reduction in the rate of suicides, attempted suicides and improve the community knowledge, awareness of risk factors with system responses to prevention and management. A Queensland analysis of age groups revealed that young males (15-24 year old) in rural areas had significantly elevated suicide rates compared to their urban counterparts.
The renewal task for Rural Youth is to develop personal skills, provide a sense of meaning, and bring together those young adults across Queensland who live in or have an affinity with rural and regional places and enterprise. This can be achieved by exercising considerable project management, business leadership and civic engagement as was developed in the past and can be applied into the new circumstances of today's society.
Overall aim, strengths and progress of project
Revitalising Rural Youth aims to resource and support a joined-up body of young adults that model the vision, philosophy and actions engaging young adults in their own capacity building. This is achieved by linking with peers to increase connectedness, independence and personal development and ultimately achieving social, cultural and identity capital in rural and regional Queensland.
Investigations to date indicate that the need for social networking exists with intense, yet disparate, precarious and patchy services provided by primary industry to local government agencies across the State. While some communities are well served, others warrant mechanisms and inputs to create a greater learning community of practice and engagement. While some young adults advise they have sufficient options, others signify a desperate need to be part of an effective affiliation. Modernising former means of interaction to overcome factors of shrinking population, reluctance to take on organisational roles, cost of travel and the availability of digital capacity are to be explored from the initial consultation phase. Determining if 'rural youth' is the correct appellation for young adults in regional centres and districts is also under consideration for further discussion.
Renewing the Rural Youth network is seen as a human transformation to enable young adults and communities to be inclusive, maintain engagement and support sustainability. Thus, strengthening the following in its participants: confidence, speaking skills, organisational prowess, sense of 'ownership' and 'belonging' and leadership by running their own Rural Youth clubs. Certainly, champions as advisors, auspicers, facilitators and advocates are viewed as essential to continuity.
Potential to lead to practical long-term outcomes
Development of a young rural and regional network will help build vibrant communities that are more likely to retain their young people and attract other young people to view them as great places to live and work. Sustainability is a key issue for thriveability, and developing self-reliant, resilient, responsible and effective young citizens who know how to continue their personal and group learning, as well as organise projects in the service of others will draw upon the reserve of former members, as well as create a wellspring of future leaders.
This can be realised by:
- linking young people with their peers in their region and across states, Australia and the World
- increasing social networks, interactions and connectedness; and
- fostering personal development, planning, and implementation skills with experiential learning, community service, educational vacations, residential workshops, young adult programs and lifelong learning by 'doing with fun' in a balanced range of pursuits.
Where to from here?
The next phase in translating engagement strategies into practice will include:
- establishing local forums and club formation approaches (viz. with 'pilot' groups selected in the key interest areas of north (Atherton Tablelands), Central (Biloela) and South West (Southern Downs)
- engaging regional rural youth champions, former Rural Youth/Junior Farmer members and stakeholders as mentors and change agents
- identifying and developing relationships with sponsors, partners and brokering alliances; and
- developing technology-based approaches and networking to inspire, inform and create a sense of shared history.
Rural Youth has a sound foundation for modern times, with the opportunity to align the ideas and initiatives from contemporary young adults into the activities, projects, programs and events of need. There is currently no state-wide, broadly focussed and independent young regional/rural network operating in Queensland to address the lack of opportunities for social interaction, informal/lifelong learning and connectedness. To attract and retain young people in rural areas, strengthen rural communities, increase personal wellbeing, ameliorate by prevention and link young people with their peers in their region and across Australia, there is a need for individual and granting bodies to seed the rebirth of this network.
Contact Details
Mr Ken Gold (Chair) Rural Youth Revitalisation Steering Committee, kengold@optusnet.com.au - former Member, Advisor, State Councillor, RY UK Exchangee and President of the RY Exchangees Association, Dairyman's Organisation and Agricultural Industries Consultant.
Dr Denise Reghenzani, Global Learning Services, Member of Rural Youth Revitalisation Steering Committee, d_reghenzani@hotmail.com - former Member, Under-21 RY Exchange and Assistant State Organiser 1977-1982 (Rural Youth), Educator, Lifelong Learning & Learning Communities Facilitator, Learning Partnerships Manager, Policy Executive in Queensland Government, Consultant.
eContent Home
