Lens on Strengths: Youth, Belonging & ABCD

LENS ON STRENGTHS

Youth, Belonging and Asset-Based Community Development

A one-day, hands-on workshop on using Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) to recognise young people's strengths, mobilise community assets, and build belonging and community-led action.

It begins by noticing what young people and communities already have: strengths, gifts, ideas, creativity, culture, connection to Country, relationships, clubs and associations, places and stories. Then we explore how to connect and mobilise them.

Lens on Strengths brings together Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), place-based practice, youth participation and strengths-based approaches around one practical question:

What happens when we start with what young people and communities already have, and connect it?

Too often, our work with young people begins with needs, problems, risks and service responses. Those things matter. But they are not the whole story.

A strengths-based lens invites us to also ask:

• What strengths, gifts, relationships and community assets already exist?

• What can young people contribute, not someday, but now?

• How can places and spaces strengthen connection, participation and belonging?

• How can adults and young people share power and create change together?

Belonging needs more than recognition. It means welcoming spaces, removing barriers, challenging exclusion, and real opportunities for young people and diverse communities to participate, influence and lead.

WHAT WE'LL EXPLORE

Through experiential activities, practical tools, stories, real-world examples and shared reflection:

SEEING DIFFERENTLY

Practising an asset-based lens while still recognising the real challenges and structural barriers young people and communities face.

ABCD: MAPPING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE

The principles of ABCD, and how to identify the gifts, relationships, associations, institutions, places and stories that can be connected and mobilised.

YOUNG PEOPLE AS CONTRIBUTORS AND CHANGEMAKERS

Moving beyond seeing young people only as service users or voices to be heard, towards recognising their rights, strengths, agency and capacity to shape community life.

PLACE, SPACE AND BELONGING

How youth centres, schools, public places, third spaces and informal "bumping spaces" create opportunities for connection and participation.

FROM DOING FOR TO DOING WITH

Youth participation, co-design, shared power and intergenerational leadership, with practical ways to work alongside young people.

FROM CONNECTION TO MOBILISING ACTION

What becomes possible when people, gifts, relationships, places and assets are connected and mobilised: building social capital and turning ideas into practical, community-led action.

YOU'LL LEAVE WITH

• A practical process for mapping the gifts, relationships, associations and places in a community

• Ways to recognise and engage young people as contributors now

• Tools for moving from "doing for" to "doing with"

• Ideas for turning connections into community-led, place-based action

• Resources and a certificate of participation

Throughout the day we'll return to one bigger question: what does any of this have to do with belonging?

Belonging is not simply being welcomed. It is being seen and valued, having something meaningful to offer, and knowing your presence makes a difference.

WHO IS IT FOR?

People who work alongside young people and communities, including youth and community practitioners, educators and facilitators, council and government staff, community organisations and peak bodies, foundations and social-purpose organisations, university staff and students, and young leaders and community collectives.

No previous experience with ABCD is needed. Come ready to participate, reflect, connect and experiment.

PART OF THE BELONGING SERIES

Lens on Strengths is part of an emerging experiential series exploring belonging through different lenses, including young people, strengths, stories, play, place, facilitation, community and action.

Because belonging is not something we simply find.

It is something we continually explore, experience and create together.

About your facilitator

Dimitrios Papalexis is the founder of Soulgen and an award-winning youth and community development practitioner, facilitator, trainer and Certified Psychodrama Practitioner.

Named the 2019 NSW Youth Worker of the Year, Dimitrios has worked alongside young people, communities, councils, schools, universities and organisations across metropolitan, regional and multicultural settings in Australia and internationally.

His work brings together ABCD, place-based practice, youth participation, co-design, experiential learning, storytelling and creative facilitation. He is particularly interested in how people’s gifts, relationships and local assets can strengthen belonging, leadership and community-led action.

About Soulgen

Soulgen is a boutique youth and community development consultancy working alongside people, communities and organisations to strengthen connection, participation, belonging and shared action.

Our approach is relational, strengths-based, place-based and participatory. Rather than beginning only with problems or service gaps, we uncover the gifts, relationships, knowledge and possibilities already present, then help connect them and turn ideas into action.

About the Impact Story Lab

The Impact Story Lab, created by Digital Storytellers, is a co-working and creative space for changemakers, creatives and community leaders, designed to support impact work with storytelling at its heart.

Located in Darlinghurst, the Lab brings together people using storytelling, creativity and collaboration to contribute to positive social change.

Location: Suite 201, Level 2, 101–111 William Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.

Ticket includes lunch, refreshments, resources and certificate.

"Abundant communities start with making visible the gifts of everyone in the neighborhood, the families, the young people, the old people, the vulnerable people, the troublesome people. Everyone. We do this not out of altruism, but to create the elements of a satisfying life."

John McKnight