Bush Venture : Leadership Training, Retreats, Queensland, Australia

See of images of Youth Services camps, conferences and sessions.   

• All he does is watch DVDs and plays computer games all day – I even think he might be suicidal!
• Are lights on but no one is at home?
• Has attendance at school dropped or ended?
• Is there a sense of loss of control over environment in conjunction with intense feeling of anger?
• Is there evidence of eating and sleeping disturbances, mood swings, and gradual social withdrawal and isolation from others?
• Are there feelings of hopelessness and despair, communication difficulties, low self esteem/putting self down, feelings of insecurity and instability?
• Are there morbid thoughts and even thoughts about death?
• Is this young person a culture taker or culture maker?
• Lots of potential but follows the herd
• Concerned that he is in the wrong group
• We want to make her a student leader but she needs some polish
• He needs to know that there is more to being a student leader than prowess on the football field

Supporting the Supporters of Youth

Bush Venture has worked with leaders who educate and or support youth since 1985.

Bush Venture works with supporters of youth to assess skill and knowledge gaps to be bridged in the development to responsible adulthood and then develops interventions to determine the best leadership training required to meet the needs. 

Young Leaders

Packages can be designed to meet specific youth leadership needs.  A sample of ‘off the shelf' packages include:

• Waltzing Matilda.
  Introduction to bushwalking and leadership skills in camping, bushcraft and navigation over three to five days in a wilderness setting (camping).
• Nature of leadership.
• Leadership vs. Management
• Navigation
• Safety.
• Building a team.
• Meeting challenge.
• Youth Challenge.
  Youth leadership for schools/youth groups etc over nine days in a wilderness setting (camping). Modules of this can be offered in five days.
• Australian style bush craft
• Anzac values
• Nature of leadership.
• Leadership vs. Management
• Navigation
• Safety.
• Building a team.
• Meeting challenge.
• Assessment of leadership and management potential while facing unusual tasks in an unfamiliar environment on an expedition.
• Setting personal goals for leadership excellence

Transformation for Youth at Risk from Victim to Victor

Bush Venture works with charities (particularly with Vitae Ltd) to provide interventions for youth at risk of suicide, substance abuse and crime.  The aim here is to save the community the costs of citizens that take rather than give to society.

Packages can be designed to meet specific youth transformational needs.  A sample of ‘off the shelf' packages include:

• Champ Camp.
  A nine day wilderness based intervention for youth at risk to move them away from negative behaviours (camping). Sponsorship for this may be available from Vitae Ltd.
• Australian style bush craft
• Anzac values
• Nature of leadership.
• Dealing with the victim state
• Navigation
• Safety.
• Building a team.
• Meeting challenge.
• Setting goals.
• Pioneer Program.
  A three month wilderness based intervention for youth at risk move youth away from negative behaviours. This may be followed by time on a pioneer farm and support in the community based on individual need. Sponsorship for this may be available from Vitae Ltd.
• Australian style bush craft
• Anzac values
• Nature of leadership.
• Dealing with the victim state
• Navigation
• Safety.
• Building a team.
• Meeting challenge.
• Setting goals.
• Work ethic.
• Developing an education and skills development plan towards employment.
• Where necessary, developing links for a surrogate family for social support.

Some feedback on Youth at Risk Champ Camps

"As a Guide on the first Champ Camp sponsored by Vitae and conducted by Bush Venture, I thought I knew what I was involving myself in.  Yes, 10 youth at risk, teenage boys, experiencing 9 days of Anzac values in a bush setting.

But WOW!  These last 5 days have been very challenging and very confronting, however, they have learnt to navigate in the bush, climb a 450m mountain and slept out comfortably with the basics they carried on their backs.  Courage, Honour, and Service is not only talked about, but is being experienced and forming in these boys.  They have become mates. I am astounded in the change after only 5 days.  From sullen, angry, disinterested, antisocial behaviour with no light in their eyes, they have transformed into active, social, helpful and laughing people – the lights are back on!  They are enthusiastically taking up the challenge to pursue adult behaviour for themselves. 

After sharing five days and seeing the transformation in these young people I have come to a realisation.  There is an urgency to sponsor as many of our young people at risk of suicide, substance abuse, violence and crime into this program.  I believe the successful outcome is the result of hard training rather than entertaining."
Kate Hobbs – New Leader on a Champ Camp

 “Remember D-?  We could not get him to do more than one or two days at school a week – now after the Champ Camp he has attended every day for two months”
A Police Detective Sergeant who sent 10 youth at risk