Sammie's Story
“Mainstream education did not work out for me. At that age I was not interested in school, I found it difficult to follow the rules, to complete homework and assignments in a specific time frame, and I found it difficult to communicate in a responsible manner towards peers and authority figures. My accommodation being unstable and having an unstable income also made it difficult for me to attend school.
I stayed at TINOCA, the Youth Futures crisis accommodation, for about two and a half months. During this period the youth workers at TINOCA suggested Youth Futures Community School as an option to continue my education, however my priorities were in the wrong place and I was not prepared for the responsibility of school. After TINOCA I found residence in a more long term hostel with Mercy Care. I stayed there for seven months, and within those months my priorities changed for the better. I came to the realisation that I needed to complete school to get anywhere in life.
Youth Futures Community School allows you to complete work at your own pace, has flexible hours, and you get support from youth workers in relation to the questions and tasks within the work booklets. The work was not overly difficult and sometimes we had the option to play Uno or a game of some sort. This made it easier for me to complete my course as there is no rush in completing work.
Now, I have completed my Certificate in General Education and am able to apply for work without criticism. I have stable accommodation with a mate who I met through the School and I have enrolled for TAFE. As of next year I will be studying Community Services Cert III and hopefully further down the track I can support young people with a career in youth work.”