The Indigenous COACH Program aims to see Indigenous families and individuals in the Townsville and Palm Island regions be empowered and supported to establish a plan to address their self-identified life challenges to break the cycle and close the gap of generational disadvantage.
Indigenous COACH has been developed by local Salvation Army Indigenous leaders in partnership with the COACH Network.
The Salvation Army Team in Townsville led by Shirli Congoo and Jennifer Reuben – COACH Program Coordinator, Andrew Naylor from the BUV (formerly Australians Working Together) along with Mark Matthews and Toby Baxter at the official launch of the Indigenous COACH program!
Representation of the Mentoring Journey
Artwork by Terrence Whyte
The grey background includes 2 columns of spear heads representing Aboriginal & Torres Straits Islander peoples. On either sides are waves/unsettled waters that represents life’s burdens.
The black dots represent the mentee’s life journey, The blue dots represent the mentors coming alongside the mentee, the white dots inside the blue dots is the COACH program that the mentor carries and the white dots inside the black dots are when the mentor shares the COACH program with the mentee.
There are 3 meetings that indicate the beginning, the middle and end of the program, where the mentee meets with the mentor and the COACH Coordinator, and as the COACH program progress the meetings may include other supports for the mentee.
Finally the end of the last meeting you’ll notice black dots with blue and white dots inside coming alongside the black dots also with the white dots, that represents the mentee becoming a mentor and sharing what they have learned from the COACH program.
About the Artist: The creator of the artwork Terrence Whyte, descends from the Kaurareg Nation (Cape York), Goemulgal people (Torres Strait) and Wiradjuri Nation (New South Wales). Terrence is The Salvation Army Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Youth and Children’s Specialist working in Townsville.