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How we work
Five values describe what every young person feels with us. Ten cultural principles describe how we work to get there.
The ten principlesGet involvedFive values
Held, valued and wanted, just as they are.
A future with no young people in care is one we can build together.
Time on Country, with family and culture, is part of healing.
To kin, culture, Country and community.
Young people, families and community shape the decisions.
Ten cultural principles
These ten principles guide every program, partnership and decision. Each one says what we do and what it looks like in practice.
Principle 1
Culture is the centre of every program, not an add-on.
In practice: programs are planned around Country, story and kin first, then the activity.
Principle 2
What counts as a cultural activity comes from cultural authority. A skill becomes cultural when a capable Aboriginal person is part of it.
In practice: Elders and cultural knowledge holders are part of the work and are paid for their time.
Principle 3
Every young person has rights. Our programs are built around them.
In practice: young people know what to expect, are heard, and have a say in what happens.
Principle 4
We plan for safety, choice and a pace the young person can set.
In practice: short days come before longer trips, so trust is built before anyone travels.
Principle 5
Decisions are made with Elders, families, carers and community organisations, not for them.
In practice: the people closest to a young person are at the table when we plan, not after.
Principle 6
We hold brave spaces, shaped by the Be BRAVE Feel SAFE methodology.
In practice: a brave space is one where young people can try, speak and be held while they do.
Principle 7
Dhungai is a Yugambeh word for deep listening and connection.
In practice: we listen first, to young people, families and Elders, before we offer anything.
Principle 8
We walk with young people and families. We do not walk ahead of them or speak for them.
In practice: young people and families set the pace and the direction. We stay beside them.
Principle 9
There is no single way to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Programs make room for every mob.
In practice: each young person's mob, language and story are their own, and the program makes room for them.
Principle 10
We never use a child's story to raise money.
In practice: stories are shared only by the people they belong to. Adults who grew up in care may choose to tell their own.
On program
Dreaming Futures runs the experiences. Partners hold young people between programs. Qualified outdoor leaders, youth workers and volunteers, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, work under cultural authority at about one leader for every three young people. Every activity meets its standards. Young people build trust with us on short days before they go further.
See the lifetime journeyWe are building a board, a circle of partners and a way to give. Here is where you can step in.
Get involvedAbout Dreaming Futures