How the small Central Australian community of Santa Teresa is stamping out anti-social behaviour

A groundbreaking re-engagement program, which stops youths ‘going off the rails’ is having a dramatic impact on the rate of anti-social behaviour in one small NT community.

A GROUNDBREAKING re-engagement program for youth in the small Centralian community of Santa Teresa is having a remarkable impact on anti-social behaviour, according to organisers.

The Alternative Learning Program was implemented in mid-2021 by Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) and Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School following a build-up of vandalism and petty crime in the community, located 80km southeast of Alice Springs.

AAAC chief executive Ellie Kamara said the program was designed to stop disengaged youths “going off the rails” and finding ways to improve their sense of self-worth.

In Santa Teresa, the Alternative Engagement Program is co-run by the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School and the local Aboriginal Corporation, Atyenhenge-Atherre Aboriginal Corporation. Picture: Supplied.

“As part of our program, kids go to school until 1pm and then one of the senior men from the community goes to pick them up,” she said.

“They go and do activities with other stakeholders around the community together with the senior man, such as cooking classes, working with a stockman and doing skateboarding and exercise classes.”

Ms Kamara said much of the program’s success was drawn from the way the community responded to incidents.

“We try have a community meeting with AAAC board members, traditional owners and elders, and the families of the kids involved and the kids themselves,” she said.

“That we can address any big hiccups straight away.

“If there’s been vandalism, the kids are taken to the site of the vandalism the very next day as part of the program and they apologise and they clean up.”

Ms Kamara said she believed the program, funded until now by Catholic Education NT, could be expanded to more communities across the Territory.

Originally published as How the small Central Australian community of Santa Teresa is stamping out anti-social behaviour