Guyung Minig (‘Black Fire’ in Darkinjung) Youth Leadership Cohort:
Beginning in June 2023, Guyung Minig is a youth leadership cohort whose name translates to ‘Black Fire’ in Darkinjung language (endorsed by the Darkinjung Language Group). Regional Youth NSW resources this program within the Regional Youth Investment Program. The rationale behind this program is years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people on the Central Coast (Darkinjung Country) voicing their need for increased opportunities to connect to community, culture, and leadership beyond the Empowered Youth Summit. Further, youth leadership and developing the future generation speaks to our community’s ways of knowing, doing and being and the reciprocal nature of our knowledge transfer. In collaboration with Guyung Minig, the framework below was designed to guide the program:
Throughout the program, this group has had 15 continuous members recruited through an expression of interest pathway open to the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations within Barang Regional Alliance, emphasising leaders observed at Empowered Youth Summits and every single young person nominated, was accepted into the program including Shanae Avery, Evie Barnes, Bailey Carney, Leigtham Carney, Tyson Coen, Isaac Davy, Josef Graf-Cooper, Jai McEwen, Allirra Moore, Zac McEwen, Bryce Parsons, Dane Smeaton, Ellie-Rose Trindall-Welsh, Jacob Smeaton and Sally Whitelaw.
Activities to date have included:
2023 Youth Leadership Camp
Youth Priority Workshops