New tune for Goodna youth
Zac is one of the many young people benefitting from the youth programs on offer at The Salvation Army & Sony Foundation Youth and Community Centre in Goodna. (Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army & Sony Foundation Youth and Community Centre)
The future has a new tune for year nine student Zac, thanks to Soundpoint, The Salvation Army and Sony Foundation Youth and Community Centre.
Offering a variety of youth programs, Soundpoint in Goodna, Queensland, is helping rebuild a shattered community left behind by the 2011 floods and combat the many social issues facing the area’s young people.
Celebrating its first anniversary in October, Soundpoint was made possible through the $2 million raised by The Sony Foundation’s Flood Relief Album, made in response to the devastating 2011 Queensland floods.
The centre includes Salvos Legal, youth and family counselling services, activities-based programs, the Meeting Place Café, The Sony Space and a Family Store.
After struggling at his mainstream high school, Zac joined the centre’s alternative education program, which offers support for those disengaged from mainstream education.
“This time last year I thought I was going to be doing the same job as Dad (Tyre Fitter),” Zac says.
“I was not doing my work, not paying attention, getting distracted by others around me, and getting left behind with school work.”
Zac says Soundpoint has changed his life.
“Now I want to learn more skills and become an electrician…it has opened more doors for me in the future,” he says.
Zac’s mum Naomi says she has seen a dramatic change in her son since he started attending Soundpoint.
“I don’t get the angry child at 3pm every afternoon walking in my front door,” she says, “He comes in the door smiling after being at school.
“It’s helped the whole family. If he’s happy, the whole family is happy.”
She says she’s proud of who Zac is becoming: “He’s matured as a person into a young man.”
Sarah Liang is studying media at UNSW. She is currently interning in the Communications and Public Relations team at Territorial Headquarters in Sydney.
Comments
Great to see opportunities being given to not necessarily academic abilities, giving these kids confidence & skills to take on a career path suitable for their hands on skills. Great work, keep it up & maybe mainstream will catch up with your forward thinking.