The 5 Acre Project provides opportunities for young people who have become disengaged from education, training or employment and who may experience a range of barriers, a circuit-breaker where they can work and learn on the farm in a non-judgmental, therapeutic environment. 5 Acres allows young people to use permaculture and organic farming principles to grow beautiful and nourishing food and plants, cook food for all those on site each day. develop baristing, food handling and customer service skills in the "coming soon" farm gate shop, work in our gardens for our on-going farm production and develop design, building and timber skills with opportunities as they arise through our partners
Farming-for-Change & OpenPlayScapes
The purpose of 5 Acres is to allow young people to immerse themselves in a range of skills in a safe, holistic space that offers the opportunity to explore potential future pathways while experiencing a sense of belonging and feeling good about themselves and who they are.
The following outcomes are embedded into The 5 Acre Project .
Essentials:
Essentials is a carefully developed program that provides opportunities to build on, address and close any existing gaps of learning young people may have when they join the 5 Acre Project that then allows them to return to or move into accredited training with a strong foundation for success.
‘Essentials’ is unseen by the young people attending The 5 Acre Project but it is carefully, thoughtfully and intentionally woven into every aspect of the day. Young people are learning through practical teaching, working alongside a professional in the field to develop and remember the basic building blocks of foundation literacy and numeracy required in order to have genuine choice and success in future pathways. Young people are provided with many different ways to access their existing knowledge, advance on what they currently know and apply the knowledge in a range of applications that ensures deep understanding, developing confidence for success in further study or employment. This is not accredited education but based on pre-accredited educational outcomes and can be significantly tailored for individuals.
Good Health:
The primary focus of Good Health is to introduce or build young people's knowledge of a range of harm minimisation tools & therapeutic approaches to anger, rage, depression, anxiety, despair, triggers, unhelpful thinking, entrenched negative beliefs, substance use, hopelessness, fear, self sabotage & any patterns of behaviour they want to change. This is not a one size fits all program and approaches well-being and strategies for change and coping with a difficult life from a wide lens. Young people will walk, breathe, garden, build, talk, reflect, take ownership, practice skills, learn and understand the effects of trauma, participate in workshops, journey and develop strategies that will bring awareness, offer opportunities for change and support informed choices for their future.
Skill Builders:
Skill Builders is a set of knowledge designed to open the world up to young people who may not yet know what they want to do, what they may want to learn or even how they prefer to learn. We are committed to provide a broad range of skills that increase opportunities for employment and also allows young people to try their hand at a a range of professions such as hospitality/barista/cafe, food growing and cooking, nurseyship, carpentry, landscaping, farming and organic growing and design industries.
TLC through the 5 Acre Project and OpenPlayScapes can provide genuine employment experience in these industries with ongoing placement opportunities for suitable candidates.
