The Program:

The YLS Cross Culture - Cross Oceans Program aims to help young individuals enhance their skills and confidence for international travel through respectful immersion in different cultures. Alongside gaining skills for independent and self-determined living, a focus of this program is Indigenous cultural exchange.

Over the course of a week, clients, workers, and Aboriginal and Māori Elders, Aunts and Uncles, spend time visiting significant cultural events and places; from The Dawn Service on Tiriti Day at Waitangi, to the landing place of Kupe, to Tāne Mahuta Lord of the Forests - and visit different Maraes, where clients actively participate in the traditional pōwhiri practices as guests on Māori land. The group stays in both accommodation, and as guests on a Marae where we sleep and live traditionally and with respect to Māori cultural practices.

Throughout the trip, the group are offered workshops from Māori hosts, in cultural activities such as carving, traditional medicines, and weaving. Aboriginal leaders and workers on the trip support clients to reflect on their personal and cultural stories, and consider how their knowledge might act as a connection to Māori hosts and visiting Aunts and Uncles. Indigenous leaders collaboratively run reflection periods for clients and peers to put language to our shared and unique experiences of everyday power dynamics, coping skills, and Indigenous identity in an often Westernised and culturally challenging world. Together, the travelling group develops a thank you gift to give the hosting Marae on the final day of the trip. Clients also learn how to gather traditional food, and actively participate in preparing a hāngī - a large celebratory meal - to give thanks to our hosts.

Thoughout the trip, clients are invited to prepare food independently, coordinate bed times and recreational periods, and join in on trips to nearby towns and landmarks for groceries, fishing, walks, swimming, and socialising with the locals.

The program is supported by Merana Aboriginal Community Association. Merana Aboriginal Community Association for the Hawkesbury is the first Aboriginal organisation in the Hawkesbury. Merana helps the local Aboriginal community with services, programs, cultural activities, special events and advocacy. Merana has dedicated 20 years to supporting Aboriginal community to increase their capacity to achieve their life goals, support their cultural journey and increase their knowledge on cultural history.

In February 2024, Youth Led Services self-funded a pilot of this program, and the outcomes were outstanding. 

“I’ve watched a lot of independence develop among our young people on this trip. When we first arrived everybody was quite together, and now everyone is filling the space a lot more; they are more confident, moving around individually, and doing their own thing within the group structure. I'm also seeing that there isn't much need for prompting to regather. Comparatively, before the trip I saw a lot of prompting - so if you speak with the youth workers, they would tell you that there is a heap of prompting and redirection. Whereas now, everyone listens and is attentive. That kind of communal operation is required when we're in this space - because, for example, to prepare the hangi - the cultural thanks dinner - our group has to get up at a particular time to catch a tide to pick pippies, and then we have to get to the next spot to get the oysters before the tide is in.

"Because we are operating collectively, there's no room for anyone to be sitting back. In our urban life there's a lot of room for people to opt out. There's no room for people to opt out here because we are responsible for them, and that independence is great, because in this context it's normal that we move collectively and have to pick up on cues from others in order to participate."

- YLS Co-Founder Selena Rudge

historical tours