We recognise our community's young people as diverse, dynamic and requiring specialised programs, the direction for which is set via City of Darwin's Youth Strategy 2022-2026.
Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)
The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) provides Darwin's young people with a voice to Council, with members advising on a range of topics and issues throughout the year. The YAC is a group of up to fifteen young people aged between 12 and 25 years. Together they have a range of backgrounds and experiences and are connected to local high schools, community and youth agencies, education, training, employment and recreation groups. City of Darwin's Youth Services staff and Councillors also support and participate in YAC meetings.
Find out more about the Youth Advisory Committee
LAUNCH Youth Programs
Our regular events and activities for young people sit under the banner of LAUNCH and include a diverse range or indoor and outdoor offerings covering sports, employability skills, arts, entertainment and personal development. LAUNCH also engages young people in paid work as performers, designers and workshop facilitators as well as emerging event producers and social media content makers.
Youth Information Card
Our team also produces a Youth Information Card every 18 months or so. This free pocket-size card listing local youth support organisations is produced and distributed to schools and youth service providers in the Darwin area. You can request copies of the card by contacting the Youth Programs team below. Preview the card in PDF format here:
City of Darwin Youth Charter
Whilst the delivery of our youth programs is framed by our Youth Strategy, Council's broader service delivery to young people is supported by our Youth Charter. The Charter provides a set of guiding principles to City of Darwin employees, Councillors and the wider community and highlights Council’s commitment to working with young people as valued community members.
The Youth Charter was developed by our Youth Advisory committee and includes:
- four values statements which outline our assumptions about who young people are and their capacity to contribute to community life and
- nine principles which articulate our commitments when working with and providing services to young people.
Youth Strategy 2022-2026
We are committed to facilitating genuine youth participation opportunities and invest in comprehensive consultation with young people, youth sector workers and other supportive adults every 5 years. This consultation work informs our youth strategy which guides our work.
Download Youth Strategy 2022-2026
Libraries
The Youth Programs team collaborates regularly with City of Darwin Libraries and together have developed a number of youth specific programs including:
- Geektacular - created by young people, for young people this annual event takes over the entire Casuarina library during the January school holidays
- Gaming After Dark - a regular gaming event for ages 12-17 that takes place on the last Friday of the month from February to November
- Geek Up - developed and delivered by a team of young people, Geek Up is recommended for ages 15-25 and is held on the last Sunday of each month from March to November
Our four libraries offer a range of services, programs and materials to young people including space and resources to study as well as For those looking for somewhere to access to ebooks and emagazines. Need somewhere to get online? Our libraries offer 1GB of daily free wifi - and you can borrow PCs, laptops and iPads whilst you're there. Printing and photocopying is also available at a low cost.
If you love crafting stories, why not flex your writing muscles and enter the annual Young Territory Author Awards for a chance to win $500! The competition is open to all Territorians aged up to 18 and under.
Find out more about our Libraries
DARWWYN
DARWWYN (Darwin Working with Youth Network) is a networking forum for youth services and youth sector workers, working with and for young people through the not-for-profit and government sectors in Darwin. DARWWYN meets on the first Thursday of the month at venues around Darwin. The meeting is hybrid format so also supports remote connection. We support DARWWYN through the provision of secretariat support and regular sharing of youth sector content via a weekly e-newsletter.
More Information
For information and enquiries regarding Council's youth publications or the activities and programs on offer please contact our Youth Programs team at City of Darwin
youthprojects@darwin.nt.gov.au
Follow LAUNCH Darwin on
