YLab

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The Oasis Youth Homlessness Project

YLab

YLab partnered with Shark Island Productions to tackle youth homelessness and unemployment by co-designing and delivering school initiatives and creating valuable resources.

THE CHALLENGE

There has been an increase of youth homelessness nationally in the last decade with 43,500 young people between 12 and 24 reported experiencing homelessness in 2018 alone.

Youth unemployment has also increased to 14.13% compared to 7.4% for the entire workforce, according to the (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020). In response, Shark Island Productions created ‘Life After The Oasis’, a sequel to The Oasis Documentary. They partnered with YLab to provide young people with lived experience meaningful employment in designing and delivering pathways out of homelessness in partnerships with schools.

WHAT WE DID

  • YLab employed ten young people with lived experience of homelessness alongside two educators to co-design and co-deliver the schools initiative.

  • We worked with nine schools to co-design the in-school and online initiatives.

  • We ran an 8-week pilot leadership and community action program with Eltham College led by the Oasis Associates, along with workshop pilots at Bialik College and the What Up West Conference.

  • We developed The Oasis Schools Action Kit to equip teachers and students with resources to learn and take action in their communities for young people at risk, or experiencing, homelessness.

  • We developed a guide to valuing lived experience which highlights key principles and learnings from the Oasis Associate employment model.

THE IMPACT

  • 2,183 hours of employment to young people with lived experience of homelessness.

  • 300 visitors accessed The Oasis Schools Action Kit

  • 956 total downloads of Life After The Oasis film

  • Students scored 4.1 out of 5 “I could better notice and help someone at school who might be at risk of or homeless” (Eltham College pilot)

  • Students scored 4.1 out of 5 “I feel like the Oasis program has provided me with tools to better reflect on myself”

  • Students scored 4 out of 5 “Through the Oasis program I have more confidence and belief in what I can do about social issues”