The Youth Development Scholarships (YDS), formerly known as the DCJ Scholarships Program, helps young people to finish their education and reach their full potential.
If you work with a young person who could benefit from a scholarship, we need your help.
Students can use their scholarship for educational, support related or living expenses in the 2022 academic year. This can include text books, tutoring, laptops, iPads or transport costs – among other things.
Support us and spread the word
If you work with a young person living in social housing or out-of-home care who could benefit from a scholarship, please let them know that the program is available.
Young people who previously received a scholarship may be eligible for a scholarship in 2022 if they are still at school or engaged in post-school education and are still a social housing client.
What are the application dates?
Applications open at 9.00 am on Monday, 18 October 2021 and close at 5.00 pm on Friday, 18 February 2022.
Please share this information with the young people you work with and your networks, to help us spread the word.
Where can I find out more?
If you have any questions, please call the Housing Contact Centre on 1800 422 322, for Housing Services press 2 then press 4 for General Enquiries or email: ">
Inspired by this year’s NAIDOC theme of Heal Country, yadhaba ngura meaning “Get Well Land” in Darkinjung Language features a dynamic collection of cultural dance, contemporary dance and physical theatre works exploring Country, truth telling and our life journeys.
yadhaba ngura includes new works choreographed by NAISDA Diploma Developing Artists, vibrant urban dance works and originally devised works celebrating our return to dancing on Darkinjung Land, together again, as one.
Directed by NAISDA Physical Theatre Unit Manager Angie Diaz
Performed by NAISDA Developing Artists.
We invite you to join us online for this free, livestreamed sharing of yadhaba ngura.
Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, this prize, now in its fifth year, recognises the talent of young Indigenous writers across Australia. In 2021, the prize will be awarded to the best short story by an Indigenous writer who is 30 years or younger at the closing date of the competition.
The prize
First place is a $5000 prize, publication in Overland’s print magazine, and a writing residency (of up to three months) at Trinity College, the oldest student residence at the University of Melbourne. Two runner-up prizes of $500 may also be awarded.
Closing Date 18 November 2021.
The residency
The residency includes accommodation in a small flat near the campus and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) can be eaten in Trinity’s dining hall. The flat is suitable for a single person or couple (children may be able to be accommodated, also). There will be opportunities to engage in campus and college life, to give workshops or talks, and the potential to receive writing mentorship (per negotiation with Trinity College and Overland).
About Trinity College
Trinity College is the oldest residential college at the University of Melbourne. It is home to over 300 residential students, including a number of Indigenous students. Trinity’s Indigenous programs have been developing since Sana Nakata and Lilly Brophy became the first Indigenous students to attend the College.
The 2021 judges are Maddee Clark and Adam Thompson.
Maddee Clark is a Yugambeh writer, editor, and curator. They have been published by Overland, Artlink, Next Wave, and NITV and are one of Un Magazine‘s co-editors from 2018 to 2019. Maddee has a Ph.D from University of Melbourne on Indigenous Futurism and race, and has taught and consulted across the university’s Bachelor of Arts (Extended) program for Indigenous students.
Adam Thompson is an emerging Aboriginal (pakana) writer from Tasmania, who writes contemporary short fiction. In 2016–17, Adam received writing awards through the Tamar Valley Writers Festival and the Tasmanian Writers and Readers Festival. Adam has been awarded a First Nations Fellowship at Varuna – The Writers House, several Arts Tasmania grants, and was one of ten recipients of The Next Chapter initiative through the Wheeler Centre. His debut collection Born Into This was shortlisted for the USQ Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection and the 2021 Age Book of the Year Award.
Entry conditions
The prize is open to Indigenous writers who are 30 years or younger at the closing date of the competition.
In 2021, the prize will be awarded to the best short story (up to 3,000 words in length).
The work must be unpublished at the time of entry.
The position of Writer-in-Residence at Trinity College is not compulsory and more details will be provided upon presentation of the prize.
Entrants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia.
Submission of work will be processed electronically and judged anonymously. The author’s name must not appear on the submitted document.
The prize will be awarded at the judges’ discretion and they reserve the right to not select a winner.
Second and third place prizes may be awarded at the judges’ discretion.
The scholarships are funded by The Department of Planning Industry and Environment.
Department of Planning Industry and Environment value the experiences and knowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can bring to the work they do, especially in the field of land-use planning.
Increasing Aboriginal workforce in planning and public spaces, will ensure future planning work integrates the social, cultural, and economic impacts to Aboriginal communities.
The scholarship is valued at $12,500 pa, and has a 12-week summer internship and a one-year full-time graduate role in the Planning and Public Spaces division.
The COVID-19 vaccines can help protect mob from getting really sick from the virus. It helps protect our community, Elders, family and friends.
It’s really important that everyone in our community come forward and get vaccinated now so that we can keep each other safe and get back to doing the things we love.
COVID-19 community resources
A range of community and stakeholder resources are available to help you get the message out to your communities, especially with restrictions easing, including:
Vaccines ‘Know the Facts’
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Practicing Sorry Business safely
Using masks
Community champions encouraging mob
Worimi man, Professor Kelvin Kong and other local community champions are helping to spread the word to encourage more mob to get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves, their family and community.
Share these videos across your networks
Watch and share the video featuring Blake Tatafuhere.
Watch and share the videos featuring Budjerahhere and here.
Watch and share the video featuring Corey Tutt here.
Watch and share the video featuring Lesley Armstronghere.
Tips to promote COVID-19 vaccination locally
Here are some tips to share across your network. There are templates available to adapt these messages locally. Download here.
1. Encourage people to book their vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free. All Aboriginal people 12 years and older can get vaccinated for COVID-19. Appointments are available at GPs, pharmacies, Aboriginal Medical Services and NSW Health vaccination clinics.
Speak to your local GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or pharmacist, or visit nsw.gov.au to make a booking.
2. Remind people it’s important not to delay
COVID-19 is still around in our community and can spread very quickly. COVID-19 isn’t just affecting the elderly. Many young people are becoming very sick. The sooner we are all protected, the sooner we can gather together, connect again and get back to doing the things we love. So let’s do this NSW, let’s keep our mob safe.
Remember, it takes one to two weeks after your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to be fully protected, so it is important to continue to follow COVID safe practices to reduce your risk of catching and spreading the virus.
3. Access trusted information about the vaccine
Talk to your GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Health Worker or pharmacist. They can provide information about the COVID-19 vaccines, how to book your vaccination and what to expect.
Call the National Coronavirus and COVID-19 Vaccine Helpline on 1800 020 080 for assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Centre for Aboriginal Health will be hosting another Yarn Up Q&A next Tuesday 26 October at 3pm on the NSW Health Facebook page. This series will focus on the facts about COVID-19 vaccination and respond to some of the misinformation circulating through the community.
Support and feedback
The NSW Centre for Aboriginal Health is available to support your COVID-19 communication needs. If you would like to provide feedback, suggestions or request messaging that is not covered in existing resources, please contact:
Helen Gardiner
Aboriginal health COVID-19 Communications Lead
NSW Ministry of Health ">
Stay connected
Information changes quickly, stay up to date with the latest information across official NSW Health channels and follow your Local Health District for local information.
ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health service for young people and their parents. ReachOut Schools provides free, flexible resources for teachers to help them support their students, parents and carers.
It’s been an incredibly hard year for school communities as they’ve sought to adapt to online learning and deal with COVID-19 restrictions in different ways across the country. As exam time rolls around, teachers are trying hard to support stressed students.
ReachOut’s lesson plan will help students identify the impact study stress can have on their health, and go through practical strategies for dealing with that stress.
This year has seen a significant increase in students’ study stress, and many are not seeking professional support. ReachOut has put together a guide for surviving online learning which features study tips, links to lots of helpful resources as well as some fun content such as playlists.
Online learning has also been stressful and overwhelming for families. ReachOut’s online learning guide has tips to support parents and carers to manage their own wellbeing, as well as how to support their teen through this time.
Students have told us that they have been struggling to maintain their friendships due to COVID-19 restrictions. This Wellbeing Five is a short activity that supports students to explore strategies they can use to maintain their friendships during this stressful time.
There are four new bachelor degrees for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students commencing at the University of Sydney in 2022. The new degrees have come about from a collaboration since 2020 between the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, and the Office of the DVCISS/NCCC.
Links to the new, four-year degrees are provided below:
The extended bachelor degrees have been designed to extend the BA, BLAS or BSc by one year with a series of culture-centred units of study in Foundation Year and through a reduced study load for the first two years. During first year, it is anticipated that students will engage in their studies via block mode, attending six, week-long blocks at the University (or online as per NSW Government COVID-19 requirements) and complete the balance of their studies online between blocks.
Typically, funding is available for travel and accommodation for ABSTUDY-eligible, rural/remote students to attend blocks during the Foundation Year. From Year 2, students will typically engage in on-campus, face-to-face studies.
The design of the extended bachelor courses means that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students will study together in the majority of their units of study in first year. Admissions details below can be found on each course page:
Admission requirements:
This course is an alternative entry program:
(1) Admission to this course is only open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who meet the process outlined in the Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity Policy 2015.
(2) Admission to this course will be on demonstrated potential for tertiary study to a standard sufficient to undertake the course as demonstrated in:
a numeracy and literacy diagnostic test;
a structured interview;
evidence of a secondary school leaving qualification such as the NSW Higher School Certificate (including national and international equivalents) or Record of Student Achievement (RoSA), tertiary study or an approved preparation program; English language requirements must be met where these are not demonstrated by sufficient qualifications taught in English;
a portfolio of written work or support material including a personal statement of intent for studying the course.
The Master of Indigenous Languages Education (MILE) program is designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers who wish to develop their skills and specialise in any of Australia’s first languages.
Program Requirements
MILE is a one-year two-semester degree, open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates with a recognised teaching qualification (a Bachelor of Education, or a Bachelor degree and Diploma of Education) and at least one year fulltime teaching experience since graduation. There is no language proficiency requirement for entry to the program.
Classes are 9am-5pm in six intensive one-week blocks (in person if possible; otherwise online):
Semester 1: 16-22 Jan, 27 Feb – 4 Mar, 19-23 Apr
Semester 2: 11-15 July, 15-19 Aug, 4-8 Oct.
You will complete eight units of study including linguistics, curriculum development and technology for languages education, and a substantial classroom-based research project.
Applications close 31 October 2021. Classes begin 16 January 2022.
