Youth NAIDOC Ball – Celebrating Culture, Pride & Our Future Leaders

Join us for the Youth NAIDOC Ball, a special evening honouring the achievements, resilience, and cultural pride of young people across our community. This event brings together students aged 12–18 for a night of celebration, culture, awards, and connection.

The evening will open with a cultural dance performance and acknowledgements of 50 Years of NAIDOC, our Elders, funders, and Horizons College. Students will then hear from entrants in the Elders Award, where young people share a short 2‑minute speech about their aspirations for culture, community, and their emerging journey. An Elders panel will judge this category, with the award announced at the end of the ceremony. Five additional award categories will be pre‑selected, including the Resilience & Strength Award, for which Youth Justice will nominate their cohort.

High schools invited to participate include Tullawong State High School, Arethusa College, Morayfield State High School, and Caboolture State High School, with each school allocated a table and responsible for supervising their attending students.

This is an alcohol‑free, youth‑safe event, with all staff and volunteers holding valid Blue Cards. Media consent will be collected on arrival, and cultural protocols will be respected throughout the night. First aid, wellbeing support, hydration stations, and security will be available to ensure a safe and positive experience for all attendees.

Dress Code: Cocktail or cultural attire. Young people are encouraged to dress in a way that feels respectful, comfortable, and celebrates culture.

Supervision:

Young people under 16 may be required to attend with a parent/carer or under school‑approved supervision (pending Horizons College guidelines).
Youth aged 16–18 may attend independently unless otherwise advised.

Event Schedule:

5:30pm–6:00pm: Arrival & check‑in
6:00pm–6:30pm: Welcome, cultural opening & acknowledgements
7:00pm–7:45pm: Awards ceremony
7:45pm–9:00pm: Supervised dancing & celebration
9:15pm: Controlled departure and sign‑out

Kija Cultural Services will ensure the venue is packed down, all students have departed safely, and the site is secured at the end of the evening.

Contact the host of Youth NAIDOC Awards Caboolture