About Us
Over 100 Years of Investing in the Next Generation
Te Whakangao i te Reanga ā Mua
The Y has been making positive things happen for our region’s rangatahi since 1917. All our programmes and services are strengths- and evidence-based according to the principles of Positive Youth Development, and are provided at no or minimal cost to participants. Our mahi in South and Mid Canterbury and North Otago encompasses the following areas:
Youth Development – nurturing the potential in young people through a variety of youth development programmes in the community and in schools, including
- Resiliency Toolkit programme delivery across years 7-13 in schools
- Raise Up youth development programme
- Rainbow Education 101 programme and Rainbow support groups for rangatahi and their whānau
- Transition and Community Youth mentoring programme
- Y•Futures youth development and support-to-employment programme
- Annual V.O.I.C.E Youth Art Project & Exhibition
- NEET Service for rangatahi who are not in employment, education or training
- PARS (Play, Active Recreation & Sport) programmes (e.g. Community Pop Ups, Bubble Football, Archery)
- Y•Whānau parenting course and Let’s Talk about Sex safe relationships course for parents and caregivers
Education, Training & Employment Pathways – supporting people to reach their full potential through education and support-to-employment programmes, including:
- Y•Skills Certificate in Foundation Learning Levels 1 and 2 / NCEA Levels 1 and 2
- Y•Skills for Life upskilling in reading, writing and maths
- ACE Adult Community Education, including Learner Licence Theory Education
- Drive2Work support-to-employment programme
Y•Drive Driving School, a social enterprise that provides driver education and licence support for people seeking to attain their Learner, Restricted or Full driver licence. Y•Drive includes:
- Competitively priced driving lessons to progress from Learner to Restricted or Full Class 1 licence
- Community Driving Scholarship Programme – a philanthropically-funded initiative to assist people most in need to attain their driver licence
- Community Driving Mentor Programme, a partnership with the Salvation Army to match volunteer driving mentors with those needing on-the-road driving practice
