New Foundation Will Streamline Youth Development

February 1 2006

New Foundation Will Streamline Youth Development

The ongoing need for strong programmes that develop the motivation, skills and confidence of young New Zealanders so they reach their full potential has resulted in the Project K Trust changing its name to The Foundation for Youth Development. The Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) will be an umbrella Trust for established and proven children and youth development programmes such as Project K, Kiwi Can, and the Stars programme1.

The FYD will be a catalyst for co-operation in the youth development sector in New Zealand and will promote best practice in the areas of governance, management, fundraising, and research and evaluation for all the programmes.

"It makes absolute sense to form FYD and combine our energies and resources to continue to develop and deliver the very best opportunities we can to all the children and young people who we work with," said Co Founder and Chairman of Project K Graeme Dingle, who is one of the prime motivators in creating FYD. "Each programme will maintain its own identity and sponsors and will continue focusing on its particular age group and outcomes".

"We are thrilled to have Kiwi Can coming under the umbrella as it has a great track record working with younger children and after partnering with them in Kaikohe over the last 5 years we realized that merging made absolute good sense," continued Graeme Dingle.

"Kiwi Can is delighted to join with FYD. Our size in terms of numbers involved in the programme and our geographic spread marries well with FYD's sound governance and management to ensure young New Zealanders will benefit for generations to come, said Kiwi Can Chair, Quentin Hix. The Project K trustees will transfer to the Foundation for Youth Development, and the Project K Foundation will become the Youth Development Endowment Trust.

The Patron for the Foundation for Youth Development is The Governor General of New Zealand, Her Excellency the Hon Dame Silvia Cartwright. The Youth Development Endowment Trust is Chaired by Wayne Walden and the members are Graeme Dingle, Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Catherine Tizard, Eion Edgar, Hon Fran Wilde and Andrew Clements. Foundation for Youth Development Trustees are Jean-Francois Arlove, John Baird, Graeme Dingle, Dean Ellwood, Mike Hutcheson, Paul Merrick and Jo-anne Wilkinson.THE PROGRAMMES Project K is a 14 month 3 stage programme designed to inspire 14 * 15 year olds to reach their potential through building self confidence, promoting good health and education and teaching life skills such as goal setting and teamwork.

Students are selected from a participating school through a self-efficacy survey. STARS is a programme for all Year 9 students where teachers are Group Leaders and senior students are trained to be Peer Mentors.

The programme assists the juniors to make a safe transition to High School and develops leadership in the seniors thereby creating a strong sense of community within the school. Kiwi Can is a life skills and values based programme for primary and intermediate aged children which empowers them to achieve, succeed and to believe "I Can".

ENDS

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