A successful program for at-risk Canberra youth will soon lose funding

An education program that helped prevent 80 per cent of graduates from breaking the law has farewelled its final cohort of students as its federal funding comes to an end.

Over the past two years, Canberra PCYC program Project Booyah has worked with 30 14 to 18-year-olds who had disengaged with mainstream schooling for reasons including domestic violence, drug and alcohol issues, run-ins with the law and mental ill-health.

Canberra PCYC executive manager Cheryl O'Donnell and general manager Steve Imrie.
Photo: Elliot Williams

Students who completed the 20-week program graduated with a Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways from the Canberra Institute of Technology, allowing them to finish their studies or move into vocational training.

Canberra PCYC executive director Cheryl O'Donnell said 80 per cent of the ACT's Project Booyah participants had completed the program and 80 per cent had not offended since graduation.

“[We see] the change in attitude, their behaviours, their ability to actually socialise in a positive manner," she said.

“[When we first meet them] we’ll ask them what they see as their future, and four out of six had said they could see themselves in future years actually ending up in the AMC (Alexander Maconochie Centre).

"When we’ve got that negative outlook and this is my pathway and this is how it’s all been mapped out for me, to be able to change that mindset is amazing."

The program was developed by the Queensland Police Service and aims to join the government, community, education and police to effect positive change for at-risk young people.

The ACT's initiative was funded for two years through the second round of the federal government's Safer Streets Program.

A Home Affairs Department spokeswoman confirmed funding would end on June 30 this year.

"As the program is concluding, there is no further funding available," she said.

"Any future crime prevention grant opportunities will be advertised on the government’s Grant Connect website."

Ms O'Donnell said Canberra PCYC was approaching "every man and his dog" for financial support to keep the program going.

The organisation is hoping for good news in the May 8 federal budget.

“We're totally devastated," Ms O'Donnell said.

"We’re really hoping there’s still the chance that they’ll come around again and say it’s either coming up for re-tender or because of the success of the program they’ll re-fund it for another couple of years, which would be the perfect outcome."

Seven boys graduated from Project Booyah on Monday at an emotional, invite-only ceremony in Tuggeranong.