Applications open for free youth camp set to inspire Goldfields youth to take opportunities

Applications have opened for a free youth camp set to broaden the horizons of young people in the Goldfields, inspiring them to take hold of opportunities in the region. Founded by Goldfield’s mother-of-four Meghan Kent, the Golden You Leadership camps aim to empower young people through activities, guest speakers and excursions. After the success of the inaugural youth camp in April 2023, Golden You Leadership hosted another two events, with their fourth camp set to take place in September. Ms Kent said the camps were a “giant sleepover” where young people could learn and grow. “The idea is to sort of help them to set goals and feel empowered and inspired to aim a little bit further and realise that they’re not restricted by living out here in the Goldfields, and they can do all kinds of great things,” she said. “Just because they’re in Kalgoorlie doesn’t mean that they can’t dream bigger and try to achieve amazing things “Then hopefully as they get older and they discover everything that they love about the Goldfields they may choose to go away and travel or upskill but then come back to the Goldfields and continue to grow our region.” Ms Kent said she was inspired to start Golden You Leadership after facing barriers growing up in the Goldfields and watching her children come across the same barriers. “I could just really see a gap in the last sort of years of high school — that feeling of having to know what you have to do — and this massive expectation,” she said. “I had seen the kids were sort of losing a little bit of guidance so I thought I’d like to do something community-based for youth that was not already on offer.” Ms Kent said a focus of the camp was to encourage young people to seek opportunities in the region. “Being out here in the Goldfields, people feel like they are restricted ... because they feel they have limited access to different pathways,” she said. “We are teaching the youth about different opportunities available to them, and highlighting amazing things within the Goldfields that they may not have known about.” The week-long camp will run from September 30 and is open for 14 to 17-year-olds, with applications open on the Golden You Leadership website goldenyou.com.au.