Jun 17, 2025 | Youth justice
In 2019, having seen numerous young people exiting youth detention without any support or guidance and ultimately returning to custody, Youth Off The Streets’ Engagement and Support Team South West Sydney embarked on a mission to make a difference to young people...
Mar 25, 2025 | Education, Impact stories, Independent high schools, Vocational education and training (VET)
Will* was only 15, but he was becoming increasingly reckless and withdrawn. “My mum was scared I was going to end up in jail,” Will remembers of that time in his life. “My relationships with my friends and family were horrible. Plus, I didn’t like school and I...
Oct 25, 2024 | Youth justice
According to the Victorian Government, young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are overrepresented in the youth justice system. The key risk factors for these young people include diverse customs, beliefs and histories of trauma –...
Oct 1, 2024 | Domestic and family violence, Youth justice
Until he was five, Yousef* lived in constant fear that his brothers and sisters would be killed. “Being in Iraq, terrorists invaded my hometown and I wasn’t able to get away in time,” Yousef remembers. “Babies and children were burned in front of me. Their mother was...
Jul 3, 2024 | Impact stories, National Scholarship Program, Youth homelessness
In 2005, Sam Alderton-Johnson applied for a scholarship through Youth Off The Streets’ National Scholarship Program at his caseworker’s suggestion. “I had ambitions to go to university, but I failed all my trial HSC exams,” Sam remembers. “That’s when I realised...
