Lifehouse Youth Services
Lifehouse Youth Services seeks to serve the youth community of Palmerston North by partnering with local schools and empowering young people to live life to their full potential. We operate both formal and informal programs in both schools and in community youth hubs.
We provide practical support to teenagers through mentoring, recreation and skills-based vocational programs such as Shine and Strength personal development curriculums.
Our goals are to improve students sense of personal worth and ability to make positive choices, help them grow in their awareness of others and to contribute to their community, increase positive school attendance, disarm bullying and encourage healthy social engagement.
How are we different?
Schools need Lifehouse Youth Services because we work on the ground with teenagers by being accessible to them, where they are; in schools. By partnering with teachers, LYS works to achieve positive relationships with teenagers, to create positive associations with being at school, to disarm bullying, create open conversations around mental health and to provide practical solutions to teenagers lacking basic life skills.
Where other programs are available and led by teachers or guidance counsellors, our program is run by trained Youth Coaches specifically aged 18 -29 years, in order for teenagers to be able to relate and feel comfortable talking about the hard stuff.
Our Impact
We believe that in order for society to change, one must initiate change in his or herself first. We have three core values that we take responsibility for at Lifehouse Youth Services; ourselves, our surroundings, our society. Lifehouse Youth Service partners with schools to empower all three of these values so that teenagers become responsible and whole individuals, developing to become positive contributors at school and in society. Lifehouse Youth Services teams are highly enthusiastic, relatable and authentic. Our goals are to improve students sense of personal worth and ability to make positive choices, help them grow in their awareness of others and to contribute to their community, increase positive school attendance, disarm bullying and encourage healthy social engagement. We build the bridge of communication that is lacking between teenagers and schools.
Self
The program we use to enhance teenagers self perspective is called Strength and Shine. This is a ten week in class program that our youth coaches facilitate.
Surroundings
As a follow up & after care to the Strength and Shine programs we offer a once a week informal lunch time gathering.
Society
Today’s teenagers are tomorrows leaders. We believe in equipping teenagers with tools to becoming great leaders. Our youth leadership program empowers young people to reach further and begin to make a difference today.
The Strength and Shine programme was much enjoyed by our students and made a real difference in their lives. They needed no encouragement to come to sessions and were disappointed when the course was completed. I saw each of our students make progress in terms of learning to communicate appropriately with others, developing their resilience and problem-solving abilities, and increased confidence in themselves. The youth mentors did a fantastic job and were sensitive to students’ individual needs.
-Ally Roberts, Awatapu College, Head of Learning Support, 2015