The Community Door program enables young people to become actively involved in, and contribute to, the decision making structures within their community (under the guidance of mentors).
The decision making bodies will be varied, ranging from the local sporting organisation, festival committees to business and community committees and boards of management.
The program is a two-way process. Young people develop new skills, networks, become more aware of what is possible in their region and the decision making process and are given the opportunity to contribute. Participating community organisations gain access to the youth perspective on issues, the capacity of young people, and through mentoring transfer their knowledge and skills to the future decision makers and drivers of the community.

Project Objectives & Delivery
Community Door is a long term strategy with the overall objective to enhance social and economic outcomes for the community through the early engagement of young people – the future custodians of the community.

Other specific objectives and outcomes include:

• Enabling young people to learn about community involvement, contribution, volunteerism and how things are achieved in their community.

• Enhance community understanding of effective youth participation & mentoring processes.

• Accelerating community productivity and achievement through the early engagement and development of young people to the decision making process.

The program was developed in response to young people expressing
a desire to become involved in their community but not knowing how. Recent research supports this, identifying “the next step” as one of the key barriers preventing young people from getting involved. Community Door provides that “next step”.

Lead On facilitates the sourcing, bringing together, matching process, upskilling of the young people and the community organisations and evaluation process.

Mentoring
Mentoring exists both within board structures and also beyond by having additional reference points for the young people thereby ensuring the young people have the correct level of support. Lead On will also mentor Boards on “how to engage young people”.

Training & Induction
Lead On facilitate structured training and induction workshops for all participants. The acquired learning Lead On has gained from its previous experience in this area ensures the process is well directed and relevant to all parties.

Community Benefit
The community benefits both socially and economically through the early engagement of its young people to the decision making process. The traditional model generally speaking invites people to the varying decision making structures within community in the middle to latter productive years of ones life. Community Door creates an avenue to engage people in the beginning of their productive years under the stewardship of those with more life skills and knowledge. It unites the wisdom of experience with the passion and idealism of youth thereby accelerating community productivity and achievement.
It also:

• Supports the future sustainability of the region by growing the skills and preparedness of young people to participate in their local community.

• Provides case studies of real examples from this program for other regions to replicate or follow – utilising the key learning’s and outcomes from this project to assist other communities.

• Builds future leaders, establishing sustainable communities and building community capacity through the engagement of youth.

• Builds new networks and community mentoring processes developed.

• Develops tools and resources for other communities to utilise.

Project Sustainability
Funding is important only to establish Community Door in each community and to tailor the program to individual communities and train local facilitators and mentors.

The successful Bendigo pilot demonstrated that the young people participating have a developed sense of commitment to their communities and plan to continue their involvement after the completion of the program.

The boards and committees involved also increase their knowledge of effective youth participation practices, develop mentoring skills and have an enhanced view of the value young people bring to their board or committee. Community Door is building the desire and the skills & knowledge required to continue engaging young people on their boards and committees into the future.

Further details about the Community Door Program can by obtained through your local Lead On Manager or, by calling Lead On Australia on 03 5443 3607.

The Community Door Program is a community enhancement program – empowering communities and creating sustainable change.


Community Door supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund.