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Why Choose Us?

Our story began in 1999. We were invited into a complex scene in Victor Harbor by SA Police and began implementing positive engagement strategies with school leavers converging in the area. By collaborating with the community, we were able to respond to the volatile situation and transform it into a safer celebration known today as the Schoolies Festival™.

Encounter Youth has been providing our Alcohol & Other Drug education program to students, parents and teachers since 2000 when we discovered the inherit need to educate and inform students before heading to Victor Harbor for their celebrations. This has grown significantly, and we are now the largest provider of school Alcohol & Other Drug education to South Australian secondary students, educating over 30,000 young people, parents and teachers last year.

Our Educational Approach

Empower Education takes a positive and holistic approach. We come alongside and support your school’s existing drug education program. When our seminars are a part of a wider program, it makes both your school’s program and our presentations more effective and more likely to promote lasting changes in your school community.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (PDF) produced an excellent report that explored young people’s opinions on Alcohol & Other Drug education. Among the findings, two things helped shape our approach. On the one hand, the research revealed that young people desire “drug education that was perceived to be balanced, ‘real’ and non-judgmental, with programs delivered by ‘outsiders’ (not teachers or those in positions of authority)”. On the other hand, “drug education that provided accurate information not skewed towards scare tactics to prevent young people from taking drugs”.

Supported by fact-based research, our approach focuses on the growing number of students across the country who are choosing not to drink alcohol or take other drugs. From this foundation, we address the realities that some students do drink at risky levels and others engage with drugs. We discuss strategies to reduce harm and to look after others if a night doesn’t go according to plan. Our approach is engaging and interactive yet void of scare tactics and sensationalism.

Independent Evaluation

In June 2021, Encounter Youth commissioned an independent evaluation for our Alcohol & Other Drug education program. The purpose of this evaluation was to identify how the program aligned with best-practice, its impact and to provide recommendations for ongoing improvement.

Surveys and interviews were designed to evaluate the program and over 5,000 survey and interview responses were collected.

To find out more about what the evaluation said of our program, see the Independent Evaluation page.

Empower Education Reviews

Happy Students, Teachers & Parents

“I really enjoyed the seminar, I learnt a lot and felt like my opinions and the opinions of my peers were respected by our presenter.”

Year 11 Student

Eynesbury Senior College

“It was a lot of fun and was definitely enjoyable, I would love to have you back at my school.”

Year 8 Student

Marryatville High School

“It was great, I definitely took some knowledge home with me and hope to pass some on to friends and family. The seminar was definitely worth my time, I really enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you!”

Senior School Student

Swan Reach Area School

“The sessions are aimed at engaging the students at their level who are faced with making decisions and choices for their safety in social situations, empowering them with strategies and understanding. Having the parent sessions is also a really good way of supporting our community and parents.”

Wellbeing Leader

Tumby Bay Area School

“The program is really valuable. A cost-effective way of being able to access up-to-date information that we can’t necessarily find ourselves. The skills and strategies presented are really effective.”

Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

St Francis De Sales College

“One of the great benefits of the Encounter Youth Education program is that it is an evidence based, harm-minimisation program, it’s real and it actually addresses what is happening in the lives of young people, with a focus on student wellbeing and safety, presented in a context that students can connect with.”

Director of Student Wellbeing

St Ignatius College

“Thank you, food for thought on how families host/supervise events with alcohol.”

Parent

Keith Area School

”Great initiative. Enables open conversations with your child as they also have participated in the seminar. Any opportunity for discussion is a good thing.”

Parent

Eynesbury Senior College

“A great informative session with extremely useful and practical ideas. Would definitely recommend. Thank you.”

Parent

Blackfriars Priory School

Get in Touch Today

If you’d like to make any enquiry or a booking, we’d love to hear from you.

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