The Temora Youth Teams provide opportunities for the young people of Temora Shire to develop and practice skills in a range of areas that will equip them with life skills and confidence for their futures.
Hospitality Team: meets weekly to create nutritious meals with fresh ingredients from scratch. The young people also learn the financial literacy involved in food preparation.
Cultural & Performing Arts: meets weekly to provide a safe space where young people can collaborate and devise theatrical, creative, musical or artistic performances and projects.
Gaming: meets weekly to provide an inclusive and safe environment for young people to socialise with other like-minded people over board games and video games.
Leadership: meets fortnightly and is made up of selected members from each of the other teams to act as leaders and spokespersons for their team. The Leadership Team work together to strategise and collaborate to establish the roles and responsibilities of the teams and their work in the local community.
Y Jam: Meets monthly to make music and share their talents.
The Green Team: Meets monthly to care for the environment and the surrounds of Platform Y.
Follow the Youth Team on Facebook or call Youth Program Coordinator, Kassi Owen, on 0418 357 230 for more information.
A Youth Team membership opens doors for you for FREE. By becoming a member you will get FREE/DISCOUNTED access to many youth events including after school activities, movie nights, and more.
By becoming a member you promise to uphold the Youth Code:
1. Come with a positive attitude
2. Be respectful – in your language, gestures and behaviour
3. Refrain from inappropriate rough-housing
4. Use equipment safely and responsibly
5. Keep area tidy
6. Accept the directions of supervisors
7. This area is a - drug and alcohol free zone
- judgement free zone
Youth Team Motto
“The Temora Youth Team are a bunch of crazy cool kids. Everyone is welcome regardless of race, age, gender, sexuality or ability. It is a safe place where you can develop a sense of identity, self-worth, confidence, belonging, and achievement. We are one big family”.
Temora Youth Leadership Team 2017
Download the Youth Team Application Form
The Temora Shire Youth Program is overseen by the Youth Development Officer and the practical activities by the Youth Program Coordinator. Each of the teams are also supported by volunteers from the community as mentors.
Youth Development Officer: Sheree Elwin has joined the team in 2021 having taken a hiatus from her long term teaching career. Sheree has taught dance and physical education at Temora High School for nearly 20 years, and ran a very successful dance studio for many years simultaneously.
Sheree brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing meaningful programs that enhance young people's lives. She is passionate about supporting young people to be the best version of themselves and looks forward to developing programs through Temora Youth that provide life skills and aim to build self-esteem, confidence, self-learning and self-sustainable young adults.
Email: selwin@temora.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 0447 542 451
Some of the programs Sheree will be working on in 2021 are:
YOUth-Made Market: An opportunity for young people to develop their own business through a mentoring program with local business operators and industry experts. The program will culminate in a two-day market held on April 16 and 17 at the old Target building in Hoskins Street.
Adulting 101: This program aims to educate young people in life skills that often get overlooked in formal education. Participants will be tutored in things like applying for a tax file number, changing tyres, writing a Will, choosing a Super Fund, Setting up a bank account and many other useful skills.
Boys to Men: Young men will be mentored by local adult men as they restore a basketball court at Temora Showground to create a safe place where they can let off some steam and have access to positive role models.
Youth Program Coordinator: Kassi Owen grew up in Gundagai and moved to Cootamundra at the end of 2019. Kassi graduated from high school in 2017 and had a gap year before embarking on her Certificate IV in Youth Work which she completed in July 2020. Kassi is now studying for her Diploma in Youth Work. With seven year's experience in the hospitality industry, Kassi also holds a First Aid Certificate, Food Safety Certificate and has completed the Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Program and domestic violence awareness training.
Kassi is passionate about enabling young people to develop skills and confidence that will stay with them as they grow. Goal-orientated and positive, Kassi empowers the young people through practical application, volunteering opportunities and community involvement to develop a sense of community and belonging.
email: kowen@temora.nsw.gov.au
phone: 0418 357 230
Each of the weekly teams also has a volunteer mentor from the community. Each mentor holds a current Working With Children Check:
Hospitality: Kassi Owen, the Youth Program Coordinator, also acts as the mentor for the Hospitality Team. Each week the young people create delicious and nutritious recipes with fresh ingredients from scratch. The young people learn valuable life skills including financial literacy, safe food preparation, hospitality service and safe kitchen behaviours. The young people are given many opportunities throughout the year to demonstrate their learned hospitality skills for public events through catering and service.
Cultural & Performing Arts: Elizabeth Reardon is the mentor for CAPA. Elizabeth helps the young people in the CAPA Team to collaborate, create and devise projects that build confidence, communication skills, social interaction and improvisation skills. The young people are given many opportunities to perform for the public throughout the year.
Gaming: Mathew Walker is the IT Officer at Temora Shire Council and enjoys gaming in his spare time. The young people in the Gaming Team enjoy an inclusive environment where they can socially interact with like-minded people over board games and video games.
The vision of the Temora Youth Team is to create partnerships with the community that add value both to the young people of our shire, and also the community at large.
We are building multiple teams of young people who share a common interest and empowering them to build good will with individuals/organisations/businesses that may be able to sponsor, share skills, wisdom, knowledge, or resources that support their endeavours.
If you have an event or opportunity you would like to share with the Youth Team we encourage you to fill out an application form which outlines what you need, and also what wisdom/skills/rewards you can offer the Youth Teams who support you.
Download the Youth Team Strategic Partnership Form
Depending on the nature of the request, a Working with Children Check may need to be completed.
Links to youth related websites -
- Beyond Blue - Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction
- Take Charge - Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils' (REROC) Facebook page, keeping you informed with all things Riverina youth
- National Youth Week - Keep up to date with what's happening during Youth Week.
- Advocate for Children & Young People - Advocate for Children and Young People is an organisation working to make young people's lives in NSW better.
- Kids Help Line - A free confidential counselling service you can use to talk about anything that's worrying you.
- Reach Out - There is heaps of info about difference issues like depression, family stuff, eating disorders, leaving home, getting through exams and lots more.
- Law Stuff - Find out what your legal rights are, or ask a specific question through Lawmail.
- Riverina Headspace - Visiting Psychologist to Temora one day/week. Service for 12-25 year olds.
The YOUth-Made Market is a program that focuses on assisting young people to launch their own business idea.
The inaugural market was held on April 16 and 17 2021 in the old Target building in Hoskins Street.
The program is continuing with new intakes for the program happening regularly.
The YOUth-Made Market program sees young entrepreneurs participate in a mentorship program with a number of local business operators and industry experts. The young people attend several weekly workshops leading up to the market days where they learn valuable skills such as financial literacy, marketing, merchandising, sales, promotion and business strategy.
Business ideas might include:
- Dog walking
- Babysitting
- Selling handmade items
- Selling plants and seedlings
- Window washing
- Car detailing
- Pet sitting
- House sitting
- Teaching a skill
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
To apply to participate in the 2022 YOUth-Made Market program download an application form below and email it to selwin@temora.nsw.gov.au. The next markets for 2022 will be on Saturday 15th October 2022.
For enquiries please call Sheree on 0447 542 451.
Application Form(DOCX, 42KB)