October 2010 This is an exciting opportunity for the youth of the Albury and Wodonga region to be involved in an expedition that is more than a journey on the Victorian High Plains. It is a journey of personal development with experienced guides and community volunteers who assist young people to reach their full potential. It is an opportunity to share a positive learning experience in the wilderness with your peers, and to explore, discover and realise your full potential. The Victorian High Plains is a recreational playground for a broad range of activities. It provides 360 degree panoramic views, kilometres of rambling along aquaducts, abseiling, orienteering, bushwalking, cycling and camping. The ten day expedition includes planning and preparation sessions with participant involvement in how the team will move across the high plains. It includes breathtaking views, visits to cattlemen huts, abseiling and an environmental project with Parks Victoria. There will be guest speakers on route and accommodation at Howmans Gap Alpine Centre and Rovers Lodge during the journey. Camping will be in light weight tents with communal cooking to enhance the team living responsibilities. The 2009 program was successfully run in late November early December with some 18 young men participating from around the region. This year's program is open to both males and females for the first time. Click here to view a typical example of the Programs Calendar. This program is fully subsidised by the Albury Wodonga Community and its supporters. Click here to get involved. NORTH EAST WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - 2009 PHOTO GALLERY Images depicted here are from the 2009 Howmans Gap Trip.
Core Values for the Program The focus of leadership for small groups in the wilderness is based on setting goals, planning, teamwork and communication planning, and how the skills learned apply to the individual’s journey in life. Education Leadership Youth Albury Wodonga (YAW) Programs aim to provide leadership by combining theory and experience to support skill development and to help identify the differences between good and poor leadership. We identify with, and experiment with, styles and techniques that suit individual personality and tolerance levels. Engaged learning We provide a positive experiential learning environment that will enhance situational leadership that has meaning and has real purpose. The Leadership developed isn’t just a concept to be studied and pondered; it provides the tools to be a leader.
Empathy and understanding On a Youth Albury Wodonga Program you will live as a small community and travel together in a wilderness environment providing a platform that requires everyone to experience a change in comfort levels. It has a social leveling element, away from distractions, that heighten social interactions and behaviors. | |  |
These challenges, combined with living and working together towards common goals, builds life skills such as communication, tolerance, problem solving and the ability to embrace our differences. This will ultimately yield a true sense of teamwork. Social and Environmental Responsibility On a YAW Program you will experience the wilderness in small group facilitated by an educator who will provide a greater awareness and understanding of the outdoor environment and our interconnectedness to it. This is aimed to provide an educational understanding and responsibility about interacting with each other in a wilderness environment. Personal Development If participants are prepared to be challenged and willing to learn, the skills acquired on a YAW program will instill leadership and personal qualities that will be carried with them for the rest of their life. There will be no costs to participants.
As partners, the YMCA, Youth Albury Wodonga and National Australia Bank are committed to providing positive learning outcomes for young men and women of the Albury-Wodonga Region.It is hoped that the experience will have a positive impact on the participant’s lives and realise the full potential of the participants to learn, discover and identify their potential and how ultimately, their behavior will influence their future.
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