Welcome to 2018!

The YWCA Canberra Clubhouse opened its door this week after a very successful combined school holiday program with the YWCA Youth Engagement Team. As always, the Clubhouse is open Monday to Friday from 3-6 pm. Any young person aged 10-18 living in the Tuggeranong region can become a member.

Young people can sign up to be a Clubhouse member by dropping in at the Clubhouse (located at Richardson Primary School), or by downloading a membership form from the Clubhouse website membership form (word) membership form (PDF)

We’ve seen some changes at the Clubhouse this year. Lachlan Howarth was in the role of YWCA Canberra Clubhouse Coordinator since it was established in 2014, and it is with much appreciation that we farewell Lachlan, who has moved on from this role. Lachlan brought many technical skills to this role and was a warm and encouraging leader. We are excited to welcome long-standing YWCA Canberra employee, Annie-Lea Rowley to the Clubhouse Coordinator role.

Over the past seven years, Annie has worked across the organisation in a number of roles, including School Age Care Program Manager within the Children’s Services portfolio, and, and Youth Engagement Officer in the Community Services portfolio. Annie has a double degree in Arts and Education and is really looking forward to bringing her knowledge and experience into this new role. She enjoys playing ukulele, graphic design and painting, and has already spent a lot of time in the Clubhouse through her previous role with the Youth Engagement team, which provides a range of quality services for the young people in Tuggeranong. Annie can be contacted via email at annielea.rowley@ywca-canberra.org.au.

As well as welcoming a new Coordinator, we’re looking forward to engaging in activities and events that focus on core skill development in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fields, as we aim deliver meaningful learning outcomes for members. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, communication, leadership, creativity, innovation, and teamwork.

With a stronger presence from mentors and working with an inquiry based model of learning, members will be encouraged to explore their interests while incorporating these skills through their projects. These core skills will be used as outcome measures, through reflections and evaluations.

We’re looking forward to an incredible, and fun-filled year at the Clubhouse. You can stay updated on all of our highlights by keeping an eye on our blog, our Facebook and Twitter pages, and by subscribing to the YWCA Canberra Clubhouse quarterly newsletter!