Employment

Youth Worker
Strathmore Uniting Church Parish, Melbourne
1994-1996
Achievements:

  1. Development and delivery of Christian education and mission resources for young people and the faith community
  2. Pastoral care for young people and families
  3. Creation of safe spaces for young people to explore faith, meaning and purpose

Interim Minister
Nunawading Uniting Church Parish, Melbourne
1997
Achievements:

  1. Creation of liturgies sensitive to the culture and needs of young adults living in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs
  2. Pastoral care for young adults
  3. Creation of safe spaces for young people to explore faith, meaning and purpose
  4. Implemented a research program on young people, popular media and spirituality

Agency minister/youth project coordinator
South Port Parks Parish Mission, Melbourne
1998-2001
Achievements:

  1. Management of a drop-in centre that provided activities for marginalised young people in Melbourne’s inner city
  2. Training, support and management of young adult volunteers to work with young people
  3. Development of active social skills programs for primary and secondary schools, geared to help students address issues affecting their school attendance and participation
  4. In collaboration with Port Phillip City Council and other agencies, developed a theatre program for young people that attracted wide publicity and attendance

Youth policy consultant
Port Phillip City Council, Melbourne
2001
Achievements:

  1. Management of a FReeZA event, in collaboration with young people
  2. Data collection and presentation of findings of research work performed in previous years on young people’s civic participation
  3. Implemented research on young people and graffiti in the City of Port Phillip, involving interviews with young street artists, council staff and workers with young people

Agency minister
UnitingCare Cutting Edge, Shepparton
2001 – 2007
Achievements:

  1. Coordination of a regional youth suicide prevention and response campaign involving:
    • Development and delivery of a two-day training program for young people in peer counselling
    • Development and delivery of a basic counselling course for administration and ancillary staff of schools and youth service organisations, and volunteer workers with young people
    • Support and care for young people, and the creation of safe spaces for young people to explore meaning and purpose at the end of significant relationships; grief counselling
    • Development of resources for churches and volunteer groups to sensitively respond to young people’s grief, especially following suicide
  2. Collaboration with local media organisations and youth service agencies to support their response to young people’s quest for meaning
  3. Development of programs for young refugees, involving local media to promote issues
  4. Work with young people to engage local media to promote issues and events
  5. Creation of safe spaces to explore meaning and faith for LGBTI young people, and the development of resources to aid workers with LGBTI young people explore spirituality
  6. Training and support of volunteers to work as Independent Persons in local police stations
  7. Development and delivery of a two-day training program for young people in leadership and civic participation

Trainer – youth and community studies
transformations training, Shepparton
2002 – 2006
Trainer – youth and community studies
The Factory, Shepparton
2006 – present
Courses: CHCYTH1A; CHCYTH1C; CHCYTH3C; CHCYTH4A; CHCYTH5C; CHCYTH7A; CHCCS401A; CHCCWI1A; CHCAD1A; CHCNET3A

Teacher/lecturer
School of Applied Communications, RMIT University, Melbourne
2006 – present
Achievements:

  1. Offered teaching and tutoring support for students of COMM2112 Theories of Communication and Persuasion and COMM2072 Reading Media Texts
  2. Provided guest lectures on identity, participation and democratisation in “Oldweb” and “Web 2.0”
  3. Course satisfaction surveys show a general increase in student satisfaction from 33% in 2006 to 75% in 2008.

Regional coordinator – Youth Referral and Independent Person Program
UnitingCare Cutting Edge, Shepparton
October 2007 – present
Achievements:

  1. Recruited, trained and resourced volunteers to work as Independent Persons for 18 police stations across northern Victoria.
  2. Established protocols of referral and ongoing support for young people in police custody.