Supporting the “Racism It stops with me” Campaign

Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation is proud to have joined forces with some of Australia’s leading businesses, sporting bodies and NGO’s to support the “Racism. It stops with me” campaign.

4WD buses for Lajamanu, Nyirrpi and Willowra

A massive thank you to the Kurra Aboriginal Corporation and WETT (Warlpiri Education Training Trust) for agreeing to fund 4WD buses for Lajamanu, Nyirrpi and Willowra.

Target Australia supporting WYDAC

One of the wonderful outcomes of WYDAC being a finalist in the National Indigenous Governance Awards, was a commitment by Target Australia to provide support to WYDAC to develop a strategy to increase private and corporate funding.

The story of Yuendumu Community Swimming Pool

In 2005 Yuendumu Community Council (YCC) was informed they had been successful in their application for a swimming pool through the Pools in Remote Areas (PIRA) Scheme. When the news came in, the YCC was in administration mode and could not accept grants. The YCC administrator asked WYDAC to take over the grant and construct the pool. The WYDAC Board agreed to manage the construction of the pool, and to hand over the Central Desert Shire (who had replaced the local Council) at the end of the first year of operation.

How to keep the pool open?

A big mob of middle school young fellas crashed our ‘how do we keep the pool open without funds’ meeting facilitated by Royal Life Saving recently.

WYDAC Annual Report 2011-2012

Hot off the press, the WYDAC Annual Report 2011 – 2012 [click the image to download in PDF format 3.6mb]

2012 Indigenous Governance Awards finalists

We are very proud to tell you we have been selected as a finalist in the biennial 2012 Indigenous Governance Awards. Over 100 applications were receive by Reconciliation Australia and WYDAC is among the eight finalists. For more information, please visit the Reconciliation Australia website for more information! From the media release: 2012 Indigenous Governance [...]

Trouble Storm [audio]

Listen to the latest track from the Red Sand Culture workshops! (Videoclip coming soon). http://soundcloud.com/inciteya/trouble-storm Recorded at Yuendumu  Young People Featured: Simos Brown, Leon Penhall, Rene Coull and Tyrone (T-Bone) Spencer, Sasha & Judy  Artists/Mentors: Elf Tranzporter & Monkey Marc TROUBLE STORM Yuendumu has seen its troubles We don’t need, no more fighting How about [...]

Strong Organisation, Strong Communities, Strong Young People [video]

This community film was made for (and with) the Board, Members and Staff of WYDAC to help explain the way the organisation is run, encourage more young people to take up leadership roles, and as a record of where WYDAC has come from, where it is now and where it is going. Developed in consultation [...]

Etiko shoes

Here is a special deal from our friends at Etiko – Buy one pair of their sneakers and they’ll donate a pair to one of our school kids!

Unified – T-Bone

Tyrone Spencer aka T-Bone is featured in this hip hop track about Warlpiri culture staying strong in Yuendumu. Music Video produced by PAW Media in collaboration with WYDAC’s Jaru Pirjirdi, WETT Youth and Media training. The track was recorded, performed and produced by T-Bone, Monkeymarc and Elftranzporter as part of InCite Youth Arts.

Keep Your Body Clean

Congratulations to Yuendumu Youth Program participants, Messiah Brown and Jerome Jurrah for their song entry ‘Keep your body clean’, in the National Cannabis Prevention and Information centre (NCPIC) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Competition. The entry was chosen as Runner up out of 30 national entrants, which gave Indigenous people the opportunity to showcase [...]

Jaru Auskick training

As part of our sports programs with Active After-School Communities, Josh Jonny and Reggie Smith from AFL NT, came to Yuendumu to conduct training for Jaru in running Auskick clinics. Nine Jaru workers participated in the training, then coached an Auskick clinic for the school aged kids. Much fun for all and the Jaru participants [...]

Jinta Sport

The Jinta Sport brand has been created to not only offer consumers high quality, well priced sports gear but also to help create a positive change in the world.
Jinta sport is an accredited fair trade sports brand, the purchase of Jinta Sports products is guaranteed to be child labour free and ensures workers involved in the production are treated with dignity and decent living wages.

Annual General Meeting 2011

Here is our official invitation* to all community members of Yuendumu, Willowra, Nyirrpi and Lajamanu to our Annual General Meeting for 2011. Hope to see you there!               * This is the unsigned digital version  

Desert Divas Music Mentoring Program and Showcase Performance.

As part of the Alice Springs Desert Festival, two Jaru Pirrjirdi members, Melanie (Courtney Singleton) and Sherelle (Marla) Young were chosen to attend the recent Desert Divas Music Mentoring Program, from 7th-10th September 2011.

Red Sand Culture

InCite Youth Arts and the Mt Theo Program are proud to announce the release of Red Sand Culture (Volume 1) – a compilation CD showcasing the powerful voice of Warlpiri youth from the desert of Central Australia.

1 + 2 & 3 (TBONE) – Tyrone Spencer

One of our young Jaru Pirrjirdi men, Tyrone Spencer stars in this music video. Created through a collaboration between Incite Youth Arts Hip Hop Artists James and Caiti and Mt Theo Youth and Jaru Pirrjirdi Program. This is just one of many songs created by the youth of Yuendumu Community. We hope you enjoy!

Yapa Kurlu-ku Ngurrpa – Nyirrpi video

Yapa Kurlu-ku Ngurrpa is a short film about going to school in Nyirrpi, featuring Hamilton Morris (with Shirley Turner, Shimayla Turner, Sharoline Frank, Daniel Marshall, Shannon Gallagher and Lance Turner). Made by Micha Bartlett, Lance Turner, Shannon Gallagher and Daniel Marshall (with Anna Cadden – WETT Media Trainer). © 2011 Nyirrpi Youth Program, WYDAC.

Strong Fathers – Aaron Patrick

I wanna tell you a bit of story about myself, how I learnt how to be a father

Strong Fathers – MG

My name is Michael Japaljarri Wayne, and most people call me MG. This is a story about me and my son – most people call him Jujayi, because his skin name is Jungarrayi. He’s four.

Jason Woods

Snapshot on Strong Fathers project facilitated by our Warra-Warra Kanyi Counselling & Mentoring Service. This is the story of Jason and his daughters. To view the image larger visit goo.gl/Kzxd The idea for Strong Family Men came from Cecil “Crocodile” Johnson, a Mt Theo Traditional Owner and one of our fanstastic community partners from Central Australian [...]

From the CEO 2009-2010 report

This year WYDAC has consolidated both the capacity and quality of our service. Providing consistent and stable youth development activities in Yuendumu, Nyirrpi, Willowra and Lajamanu requires not only a pool of committed Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers, but quality management processes that ensure real outcomes in all locations. Our activities continue to focus on preventative [...]

Outreach Program – WETT Youth & Media Project 2009-2010

The Outreach Program provides diversionary and youth development activities to the Warlpiri communities of Willowra, Nyirrpi and Lajamanu. At the heart of this Program is the WETT Youth & Media Project. Funded since 2007 by the Kurra Aboriginal Corporation, the model focuses initially on diversionary activities for young people; project based media workshops focus on [...]

Warra-Warra Kanyi Counselling and Mentoring Service 2009-2010

In early 2009, the Mt Theo Program launched Warra-Warra Kanyi, a community-based counselling and mentoring project. Warra-Warra Kanyi grew out of the mentoring element of Jaru Pirrjirdi, through which the Yuendumu community demonstrated the strong need for a Warlpiri-specific counselling and mentoring service. With the generous support of the Personal Helpers and Mentors initiative within [...]

Jaru Pirrjirdi (Strong Voices) 2009-2010

Overview The Jaru Pirrjirdi Program is a youth development and leadership program, as well as an aftercare program for ‘at risk’ youth. It creates meaningful and positive futures for young adults aged between 15-25. Jaru Pirrjirdi operates on a 6 level structure, these levels represent growing degrees of capacity and responsibility for Jaru to work [...]

Mt Theo Outstation 2009-2010

Sixteen years on, the heart of the Mt Theo Program remains cultural rehabilitation/ respite and strengthening of young people through the care of Warlpiri mentors, carers and elders. This occurs at the remote Mt Theo Outstation located 160km northwest of Yuendumu, focussing on young Warlpiri people suffering from the effects of a wide range of [...]

Mt Theo Program Partners 2009-2010

In 2009 – 2010 Mt Theo Program received funding from: Commonwealth: Department of Health & Aging Office of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) Closing the Gap – AOD Activities Drug Strategies Branch Health Strategies Branch Department of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs The Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination Central Australian Petrol [...]

ISO 9001:2008 Certification No. FS 560240

In early 2008 WYDAC undertook the challenging task of reaching accreditation by fulfilling the requirements and receiving certification of the standard, ISO 9001:2008. This is an international standard that sets out the criteria we need to satisfy to ensure that WYDAC has sufficient embedded processes to respond to any of the risks it faces, but [...]

Talking Story

The Mt Theo Committee is dedicated to sharing the success story of Mt Theo Program, and inspiring communities to take strong action in strengthening their young people. We are not always able to respond to the numerous requests for information and interviews, and where appropriate promote our website as a first source. Here is a [...]

Dog Ear Cafe

2010 saw the release of Andrew Stojanovski’s Dog Ear Café. Described by critics to be a ‘true-life adventure story’, his book very candidly discusses how he, alongside Peggy Brown and Johnny Miller, founded the Mt Theo Program in 1994 to end the devastation caused by what has long been considered Australia’s worst drug issue. Andrew’s [...]

Liam Jurrah – Jaru Pirrjirdi Graduate

Liam Jurrah, NT Young Australian of the Year 2009! The fact that Liam was nominated for his work with Mt Theo in the Jaru Pirrjirdi Program, as well as his freakish football talents, would indicate he is more than just the latest Melbourne gun. He continues to serve the young people of Yuendumu community and deserves this recognition for the outstanding young man that he is.

Swimming Pool 2009-2010

In 2009-2010, the Yuendumu Swimming Pool established itself as a major feature of the Mt Theo Program and indeed one of the principal elements of community pride. Located in the centre of the community it provides a central positive and healthy focus to youth and community activity. In the middle of the Yuendumu Summer there [...]

Mechanics Workshop 2009-2010

In 2009-2010, the Workshop had another positive year in providing local mechanical repairs and services to the Warlpiri region. Even more importantly it provided trainee employment to 6 young Warlpiri men across the year, 3 of whom have graduated to become salaried Mt Theo employees. At the end of the Financial Year the workshop showed [...]

Peggy

‘Like a stone’ – Peggy Brown’s story of determination Peggy Nampijimpa Brown is the woman who conceived and started the Mt Theo Program in 1994.  She has worked on the program ever since, filling various roles including chairperson and outstation supervisor.  Peggy is a stubborn and determined woman.  In the late 1980′s she was a [...]

Japangardi

Johnny ‘Hooker Creek’ Japangardi Miller Outstation Worker and Traditional Owner Johnny Japangardi Miller – or ‘Hooker Creek” as he is affectionately known -  is the senior Traditional Owner for Mt Theo. Johnny has dedicated most of the last decade of his life to caring for young petrol sniffiers in his country. Through his life, Japangardi [...]

Warlpiri Skin System

To download a print version click here

Swimming Pool [Update]

UPDATE 13/08/10: Yuendumu elders rock! Today, they approved $100k from royalty funds to run the pool. Add this to $49k from NT Government, funds raised from Mt Theo BBQ’s on Sports Weekend, and sales of Dog Ear Cafe, and we can start the pool up for another year. BIG thanks go out to GMAAAC mob! [...]

Book Launch

Mt Theo is excited to announce the launch of Yakajirri’s book, ‘Dog Ear Cafe’  - coming soon at the four following locations…everyone welcome! Alice Springs Launch – Dog Ear Cafe Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 3:00pm Witchetty’s – Araluen Arts Centre Alice Spring “Dog Ear Cafe” Yuendumu Sports Weekend Launch Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 12:00pm Yuendumu [...]

WYDAC Programs

  This is a poster that outlines our structure! For a larger version click here (or click the image)

Yuendumu Swimming Pool

The swimming pool was officially opened on 27th October, 2008 by Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin, Member for Stuart Karl Hampton, Thomas Jangala Rice (Chairperson), Jean Napanangka Brown (Chairperson), members of the Kantor family and the Jaru Pirrjirdi Lifeguards. At last, the dream unfolds. Excitement is mounting in Yuendumu. The frustrations of the [...]

Mt Theo Mechanics Training Workshop

In November 2007 Mt Theo was excited to finally open our new diesel mechanics training workshop. Yuendumu Council voted to allow us to use their workshop and Newmont Mining are helping with equipment and training. The mechanic, will be training young men from Yuendumu how to be diesel mechanics. The aim of the workshop is [...]