Lens on Strengths Sydney

SoulGen Presents: 

Lens On Strengths Sydney 2023

Achieve more impact in your work with young people and communities through Asset Based Community Development, Appreciative Inquiry, and Storytelling.

Are you passionate about youth & community engagement, development, and empowerment?

Join this 1 day professional development training, get inspired and learn new ideas, tools and innovative ways of working with young people through Asset based community development (ABCD), Appreciative inquiry (AI) & Storytelling.

We live in a complex times dealing with many interconnected issues such as youth mental health, fragmented family and social structures, homelessness, the looming menace of climate disaster, precarious job markets and job insecurity, lack of access to safe spaces, social isolation and social anxiety as a hangover from Covid and so forth.

To address the many interconnected issues, there is a need for a new approach that moves away from silos and deficit based models and recognises young people and communities as active agents of change and not passive recipients.

In this training, you will learn how you can achieve more social impact through: 

• harnessing the strengths, assets, skills, dreams, passions, and creativity of diverse groups of young people and communities
• inviting more collaboration and bringing together all different stakeholders
• increasing participation through codesign and placing young people and communities at the centre of action and decision-making

Get familiar with the principles, practices, tools, and case studies from the following methodologies:

• Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) builds on the assets that are found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to realise and develop their strengths. Whereas needs-based community development emphasizes local deficits and looks to outside agencies for resources, asset-based community development focuses on honing and leveraging existing strengths within the community. Everyone has gifts. Each person in a community has something to contribute.
• Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a change management approach that focuses on identifying what is working well, analyzing why it is working well, and then doing more of it. The basic tenet of AI is that an organization or community will grow in whichever direction that people in the organization focus their attention on.
• Storytelling is considered one of the most important traditions humans possess. It describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics, or arts. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. Every story contains a lesson to instruct the audience. Stories inspire us and teach us how to love, forgive, be just, and strive for a better world.

Host

Dimitrios Papalexis, Founder Soul Gen, NSW Youth Worker of the Year 2019

Dimitrios is an award winning youth and community engagement and development practitioner and consultant, community artist and founder passionate about enabling health, connected and empowered communities. 

He has been involved in numerous youth and community-led initiatives using participatory approaches over the last years, in Australia and overseas. He has also been awarded the NSW Youth Worker of the Year Award 2019 for his outstanding work with young people using Asset Based Community Development, Appreciative Inquiry, and Arts.

Guest Speakers

Guest speakers will also share their stories and passion for community and youth-led initiatives during the training.

Date

Friday 16th June, 2023

Time

10:00am - 4:00pm

Venue

Youth Action, Yirranma Place, 262 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst 2010 NSW

Book your ticket now to avoid dissapointent.

Group discounts available.

Contact abcdfamtour@gmail.com or 0400354939 for more information.

Disclaimer:

SoulGen is a social enteprise, meaning we operate on a for purpose model. We are committed to providing a space for community and young people to express their voices and identity and mobilize their strengths. A part of the income goes back to young people and the community.