00:06It's an ordinary school day in Logan, but this isn't an ordinary pick-up.
00:11Where are you at? How much out of five, man?
00:14This morning, probably like a 4.5.
00:164.5!
00:17Seventeen-year-old Malakai Tawahiti struggled in mainstream school.
00:22I would zone out, I would wag my classes.
00:27Now, the Woodridge teenager is on his way to a specialised program to help kids at risk of falling through
00:34the cracks.
00:35I decided that it would be better for me to transfer to something alternate that would also help my future.
00:43At the base of Mount Tambourine, south of Brisbane, Woodstock Farm is run by a former police officer, Ian Frame.
00:51We're challenging young people to look in the mirror, find out what they're doing at the moment,
00:55may not be the best trajectory for them in life, and working with them to find their better selves.
01:02Here they learn hospitality skills, take part in equine therapy,
01:08physical activities like boxing, and other mentorship experiences.
01:13Dom goes first because Dom remembers how to do the ropes.
01:16Team building is a key pillar of the program.
01:19Here we go.
01:20Connor Massey completed the program a couple of years ago, after a spate of homelessness and car stealing.
01:28We feel not wanted or not appreciated, and so much built-up anger and frustration and, I guess, hurt.
01:38A highway crash was the catalyst for him to enrol in the program.
01:42It has changed me, changed me a lot.
01:44It made me think about other people, helped me regulate my feelings and my anger.
01:50He's now employed full-time, building truck trays.
01:54Like Connor, a staggering 87% of participants could have told down a job before the program.
02:00But after completing the course, 60% found and held employment.
02:06Crucially, almost all students reported better anger management and resilience.
02:11No cancer treatment, for example, is always going to be 100% effective.
02:15Similarly, no youth justice program will be 100% effective.
02:2018 weeks on, Malachi and his fellow participants have graduated.
02:25They planted these trees earlier, a lasting reminder of their personal growth.
02:31Trees grow, you know what I mean?
02:33So we all evolve, don't we?
02:34So I got through and I enjoyed it.
02:37And confident there's a brighter future awaiting him.
Comments