Butterfly Dreaming is the female youth program based on the transformation journey of a butterfly, participants progress through stages of transformation from caterpillars to confident and beautiful butterflies.
Maliyan Dreaming is the male youth program based on the transformation journey of an eagle (Maliyan in Wiradyuri), participants progress through stages of transformation from the nest to strong and independent eagles.
Butterfly Dreaming and Maliyan Dreaming are leadership programs helping close the gap for young Aboriginal men and women by strengthening their connection to self, family, community, identity, and culture. This program supports small groups of youth by promoting an environment where everyone has the opportunity to build strong relationships with Elders, community and each other. Participants are trained leadership skills and encouraged to become mentors for the next cohort of participants to create an ongoing journey.
We aim to empower young First Nation youth to discover and use their own strengths; and to identify, develop and take pride in themselves and their community. It aims to help them learn how to make positive decisions and take action together to create change where they see a need. It also aims to help girls find a sense of healthy belonging within their own community and with the wider Australian society.
Visual Dreaming, with significant input from community Elders, has designed the Wollundry Dreaming First Nation Youth Hub. The hub offers young people a safe space where youth can spend time with local Elders (in traditional leadership roles), First Nation mentors (in critical developmental roles), and indigenous youth workers (in supportive roles) to participate in a variety of structured and unstructured activities. These activities will build personal and community awareness and competence within a deeply connected, supportive and culturally appropriate environment.
The supportive environment and structured and unstructured activities will encourage young people to engage in prosocial activities, build awareness of and competence in traditional values, knowledge, skills and customs. In turn, the acquisition of these culturally appropriate skills and knowledge in a culturally supportive environment will build self-efficacy, self-esteem and a strong sense of self and community. Such people go on to build successful lives and strong communities.
The hub will specifically meet the needs of indigenous people from the ages of 9 –12 with a preventative approach culturally and developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. However, whilst fostering a supportive environment for First Nation youth, the hub is not and cannot be a crisis centre, a refuge, a deficient remediation centre, nor a last point of intervention before the justice system. The hub is strength-based providing a proud, proactive, positive and affirming environment not corrective.
The supportive environment and structured and unstructured activities will encourage young people to engage in prosocial activities, build awareness of and competence in traditional values, knowledge, skills and customs. In turn, the acquisition of these culturally appropriate skills and knowledge in a culturally supportive environment will build self-efficacy, self-esteem and a strong sense of self and community. Such people go on to build successful lives and strong communities.
The hub will specifically meet the needs of indigenous people from the ages of 9 –12 with a preventative approach culturally and developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. However, whilst fostering a supportive environment for First Nation youth, the hub is not and cannot be a crisis centre, a refuge, a deficient remediation centre, nor a last point of intervention before the justice system. The hub is strength-based providing a proud, proactive, positive and affirming environment not corrective.
The Visual Dreaming app, where everyone has a dream and a goal (vision) and believes in themselves, we give youth the power to have a team to influence the vision and dreams.
• Visually see the possibility – goals and direction
• Clearly express what you need and the support networks you have
• Build a safe positive tribe
• Visual goal setting
• Invite Dream Team
• Dreamers
• Messaging to communicate with your Dream Team Newsfeed to positively interact with your Dreamers and Dream Team
The term ‘Dreaming Journey’ refers to the journey the user takes part in after signing up for the Visual Dreaming app.
A Dream Team consists of the users support networks this can include your parents, Elders, community, teacher, mentor and doctor, anyone who believes in you and you can help you achieve your goals.
Dreamers are the users of the app, individuals who choose to follow their dreams, set goals and improve their overall health. When a user elects you as their Dream Team member they are now known as your Dreamer.
DOWNLOAD APP
Visual Dreaming would like to pay our respect and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Land, Rivers and Seas. We acknowledge and pay our respect to the Elders, both past and present of the Wiradjuri nation and all nations.