The Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation's alternative engagement program rewards students who go to and behave well at school by letting them participate in learning activities outside of the classroom.
Latoya Young sits quietly on a picnic table in remote desert bushland a few kilometres outside her community of Ltyentye Apurte .
The program has been running for more than a year and so far students have been able to try a variety of activities including horse riding, skateboarding, barbering, digital literacy training, and exercise programs.For another program activity, a group of girls painted a mural of the striking red rocky range behind their town on the dull wall of a council toilet block.
"Walking around the community bored", "doing nothing", "chilling at home" and "playing footy", some of the group responded.Program coordinator David Jagger said young people disengaged from learning had been involved in graffiti, rock throwing, property damage, and starting fires in the community, but the program was helping to change that.
"They can engage in antisocial behaviour and this program helps engage them in constructive, creative, fun ways that are still learning to keep them out of trouble."Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School acting principal Robert Dreise, who is known as Mr D in the community for cultural reasons, said school attendance could fluctuate for various reasons such as families moving between communities if there was a funeral or sorry business in the community or for other cultural reasons.
"If they've been living in Alice Springs because there's a lot of crime there 'Oh, we'll go to community and teach those kids what it's like to do graffiti and breaking in and stuff'," she said.
Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation Alternative Engagement Program Antisocial Behaviour Rewarding Students School Attendance David Jagger Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School Mr D Robert Dreise Remote Community
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