The greatest contributor to the nation-leading
outcomes our young people are achieving.
the greatest contributor to the nation-leading outcomes our young people are achieving.
AFL Cape York House provides a safe, culturally appropriate, ‘home away from home’ environment for Indigenous young people to complete their education. We take a whole-of-person approach, focused on each young person’s individual wellbeing.
For many young people, going to boarding school is the first time they have been away from their families or travelled outside their communities. Notwithstanding any personal issues a young person may face, factors including homesickness and cultural and social disconnection create a significant mental and emotional health burden. As a result, many young people struggle at school.
AFL Cape York House provides a safe, culturally appropriate, ‘home away from home’ environment for Indigenous young people to complete their education. We take a whole-of-person approach, focused on each young person’s individual wellbeing.
For many young people, going to boarding school is the first time they have been away from their families or travelled outside their communities. Notwithstanding any personal issues a young person may face, factors including homesickness and cultural and social disconnection create a significant mental and emotional health burden. As a result, many young people struggle at school.
When AFL Cape York House opened in 2013, the focus of our programs centred around education. However, we quickly realised the key to educational success for our young people lay with how they felt within themselves. It’s a truth we can all relate to… ‘When we feel well, we do well.’ We found the better a young person felt, from their physical health through to their mental, social and emotional health, the better they performed at school.
That’s why today wellbeing sits at the heart of the AFL Cape York House Model of Care and is the greatest contributor to the nation-leading outcomes our young people are achieving.
When AFL Cape York House opened in 2013, the focus of our programs centred around education. However, we quickly realised the key to educational success for our young people lay with how they felt within themselves. It’s a truth we can all relate to… ‘When we feel well, we do well.’ We found the better a young person felt, from their physical health through to their mental, social and emotional health, the better they performed at school.
That’s why today wellbeing sits at the heart of the AFL Cape York House Model of Care and is the greatest contributor to the nation-leading outcomes our young people are achieving.
The AFL Cape York House Model of Care is centred around four core pillars: Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Connection to Culture, Education and Careers and Transitions.
The AFL Cape York House Model of Care is centred around four core pillars: Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Connection to Culture, Education and Careers and Transitions.
Growing strong, resilient young people who can thrive in the face of life’s challenges starts with building a solid foundation of wellbeing. We all know that when we feel well, we are happier and can achieve more. AFL Cape York House provides a ‘wrap-around’ wellbeing support system with programs that improve a young person’s mental, social, emotional and physical health giving them the resources they need to have agency over their lives and futures.
The AFL Cape York House Cultural program plays a vital role in the improving the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous young people by fostering a strong connection to home and family. The program brings Elders and young people together for the passing down of customs and practices including traditional arts and crafting, dance and cultural performance and caring for country. This has a profound impact on the wellbeing of young people and also helps to preserve cultural traditions for future generations.
Life at home in Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands is very different to the boarding and school environments. For many young people English is a second language. The AFL Cape York House Education team includes teachers, mentors and tutors who, in conjunction with our eight partner schools, support young people to overcome knowledge gaps, adjust to the classroom and thrive in a learning environment.
Our careers program helps young people discover a career that is right for them. Staff work with young people to create a roadmap, or Individual Pathway Plan, that ensures the student’s education plan and career goals align. This includes intensive, pre-employment support to improve a young person’s work readiness and access to employment or further education opportunities with ongoing support, coaching and mentoring.
