Our Promise - Cromwell Youth Trust

"A community where young people are vibrant and optimistic through being encouraged and supported to take up challenges"

Cromwell Youth Trust’s promise is to provide a safe and supportive environment where young people have the opportunities to express themselves openly, without judgement; to be treated as equals, without segregation; to have the opportunity to participate, without concern of financial pressure; to be heard, without being silenced and to be guided by trusted and dedicated youth workers.

Cromwell Youth Trust use the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa as a framework for effective youth development.

Below are the six (6) key principles our youth workers utilise throughout all our programmes and service.

1. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS SHAPED BY THE BIG PICTURE

By the ‘big picture' we mean: the values and belief systems; the social, cultural, economic contexts and trends; the Treaty of Waitangi and international obligations such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

2. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE BEING CONNECTED

Healthy development depends on young people having positive connections with others in society. This includes their family and whānau, their community, their school, training institution or workplace and their peers.

3. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS BASED ON A CONSISTENT STRENGTHS BASED APPROACH

There are risk factors that can affect the healthy development of young people and there are also factors that are protective. ‘Strengths-based' policies and programmes will build on young people's capacity to resist risk factors and enhance the protective factors in their lives.

4. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS THROUGH QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS

It is important that everyone is supported and equipped to have successful, quality relationships with young people.

5. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS TRIGGERED WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE FULLY PARTICIPATE

Young people need to be given opportunities to have greater control over what happens to them, through seeking their advice, participation and engagement.

6. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT NEEDS GOOD INFORMATION

Effective research, evaluation, information gathering and sharing is crucial.

Together, these six principles can help young people to gain a sense of contributing something of value to society, feeling of connectedness to others and to society, belief that they have choices about their future and the feeling of being positive and comfortable with their own identity.

Information provided by https://www.myd.govt.nz/working-with-young-people/youth-development-approach.html