Empowering young people for a future beyond school

Thanks to a generous $300,000 grant from the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, La Trobe University will launch a new program to support students navigate life beyond school. This transformative program, called Becoming Me, uses the creative arts to increase engagement and belonging in young people from vulnerable communities who have disconnected from formal education.

Our current challenge

For many young people in regional and low socio-economic communities, the path from high-school into to higher education or the workforce can feel uncertain and out of reach. Nationally, only 55.5% of students in remote areas complete Year 12, compared to Australian average of almost 80%. With limited access to career guidance and tailored support, many school leavers are left unsure of how their passions and interests could translate into real opportunities. Becoming Me recognises that they are more than statistics — they are young people with unique hopes and dreams, looking for a pathway forward.

Supporting students through creativity

Becoming Me is an 18-month peer-guided, co-designed arts-based program that directly supports young people in regional Victoria and northwest metropolitan Melbourne.

Unlike traditional career programs, Becoming Me uses creative practices like art, drama, and storytelling to help young people reflect on who they are and what matters to them. Through this process, participants build confidence and begin to see how their passions could connect to real opportunities. The program is co-created with youth mentors and local artists, so it always reflects the voices and experiences of the young people themselves.

Working alongside program partners the Hellenic Museum, and AVID, as well as university staff, youth facilitators and community arts practitioners, young people develop personalised career and education plans to take them through to help them make their next step beyond school. Participants also receive tailored guidance, practical skills training, and access to local resources that align with their career aspirations.

The funding from the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation will also support three youth facilitators from the program to be given bursaries and trained as program leaders, creating a cycle of support as program graduates go on to mentor future participants.

The real value of becoming

The outcomes of Becoming Me go far beyond a single program cycle. By helping to grow and develop their sense of self, young people will leave with clear, actionable, next steps for their future, whether in education, training, or employment. They will also gain a renewed sense of agency and belonging, supported by a community of peers and mentors who deeply understand the challenges they have experienced.

The program will also support local communities. Community groups, cultural organisations, and schools will gain new skills, resources, and proven approaches they can keep using even after the program finishes. And through our partnership with the national AVID network, these approaches will be shared with 14 schools across regional and low-income areas. That means more than 250 students and 20 teachers will benefit from new tools, training, and resources — helping to embed the program’s impact in classrooms across Australia.

Looking ahead

La Trobe University believes that everyone deserves access to a life-changing education. Students in underserved communities especially deserve to feel valued and supported as they navigate young adulthood and consider what their future might hold.

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of donors like the Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, La Trobe can design, trial, and expand life-changing initiatives like this one for students and communities most in need.

Together, we are providing the imaginative, supported, and reflective environments that young people need, not just to survive transition, but to thrive through it.