Our Youth Leadership Development Programme

The Quest is part of an award-winning suite of programmes which supports disabled youth to engage in building their self-determination to plan for a Good life. The Quest ethos is congruent with the Government ‘Enabling Good Lives’ System Transformation recent initiatives. The programme is facilitated with groups of 10 participants, for 2 different age groups (12-15 yrs / 16-21 yrs) by trained peer facilitators. 

This evidence-based programme accelerates learning of life skills through a fun and engaging game over 5 sessions (2 hrs each). Participants learn to: 

• Transform strengths into superpower - understand what is unique and special about them
• Formulate an inspiring vision for their future life

Set and achieve goals through bespoke ground-breaking planning tools

• Grow wellbeing as travel fuel - the more fuel, the longer and more interesting their adventure will be
• Collect the keys to a “Good life” - what different dimensions of live impact on what outcomes
• Collate learning from their adventure into a “treasure chest” - integrate their learning and sharing it to describe their adventure

Participants use the following tools, which were co-designed with past participants like them: 

• A Vision Board tool to set out their inspiring future
• A Wellbeing dashboard to build their confidence in goal setting 
• A Goal to Action tool to unpack their goals into smaller more achievable steps
• A Wall of Honour leaderboard to ensure goals cover all areas of a future of contribution and participation.

Programme Credentials

The Global Benchmark Report details how this suite of programmes is highly effective in goal achievements, improvements in wellbeing, hope and empowerment with families with disabled children and with youth. New Zealand programmes have included 11% Maori participants.New Zealand parents’ interviews, publication list and international research team.

Dr. Annick Janson (Victoria University of Wellington), the programme creator trained as a clinical psychologist and family therapist. She leads the expansion of  ‘lived experience’ from mental health into disability to catalyse change in the disability sector through patient engagement. Co-President of the New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology, Annick co-founded the strength-based suite of Now and Next programmes which ran in 5 countries and worked with over 4000 family members and professionals and is now launching the Quest version of the programme for disabled youth.

Our programme is particularly suited to young people who have had their education negatively impacted by COVID-19 and who are at risk of disengaging from their education, or who have disengaged from their education and have no pathway into further training or employment.  

Our youth coaches are trained in strengths-based approaches to walk alongside and support participants to achieve sustainable education or training engagement, or transition to employment. Participants identify risk factors and barriers, and then work to reduce these.

Our Youth Leadership Development Programme aims to ensure:

• All participants have:  

• An increased level of engagement in their learning and aspirations for the future or to have transitioned to further training or employment.

• Stronger connections with whanau, iwi, community and other support services including schools, health and youth services.

• Younger participants have increased confidence in their learning environments.

• Older participants have a clear plan for their future.

What do young people do as part of this programme?

Our young participants work together with our Youth Coaches to:

• Formulate their inspiring vision and short term goals.

• Figure out what could be holding them back at school, training or work based learning. 

• Identify risk factors and barriers, and then work to reduce these.

• Create their own pathway plan (an action plan that will help them reach their goals).

• Learn and develop key life skills.

• Develop their self-leadership skills through interactive, practical and engaging activities.

• Achieve education, training, work based learning or employment outcomes.

• Have assistance with any personal situations that may arise.

• Review their progress and be supported to stay on track.