Having stepped up during lockdown in 2020, the Y’s efforts have been rewarded with the renewal of the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) contract in Newman, until 31 December 2021.
The Y’s RSAS program has been achieving impressive results with school attendance steadily increasing since starting the program in 2019.
One such success story is Rico, a Year 8 student who was awarded for highest average attendance for the Successful Student Enrichment Program (SSEP) and the most improved and engaged male for 2020. As a result, Rico has been offered a traineeship with Ngurra Kujunka (NK), and will be assisting officers on country deliver Sport and Recreation programmes in the Remote Communities of the Western Desert.
From February 2021, RSAS is also piloting an outreach night patrol due to the amount of young people aged 5-15yrs roaming the streets of Newman in the evenings. The Y team will positively engage with the youngsters, provide a meal, and lend an ear in order to gain a greater understanding of why they’re on the streets at night, and identify what can be done to help.
If you would like to follow RSAS and learn about the difference this strategy is making, visit the YMCA WA Remote School Attendance Strategy Facebook page or visit the
RSAS website.