CREATING BETTER FUTURES

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

BROADENING HORIZONS

YOUNG PEOPLE. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The Helmsman Project helps young people develop important life skills, so they can overcome setbacks and find the confidence to pursue their dreams.

Rashad’s story

“My name is Rashad. In my sixteen years, I have had two life-changing journeys on a boat. The first was when I came out to Australia from Afghanistan. The second was The Helmsman Project.”

About Us

The Helmsman Project is a coaching and experiential learning program for Year 9 students located in communities experiencing disadvantage. Through professional coaching, hands-on experiences and community projects, young people learn to see the opportunities available to them and increase their sense of hope, self-regulation, resilience and community mindedness. Equipped with these essential life skills, they can make better decisions and reach their full potential.

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Why support The Helmsman Project

Community Focused

We work in schools located in areas experiencing disadvantage, inspiring students to engage with and give back to their local communities.

Evidence Based

We designed our program based on robust evidence from the fields of developmental and coaching psychology.

Systemic change

Our approach is designed to positively impact more than just our individual participants. We engage parents, teachers and the school community, developing long-term partnerships to bring about social change on a broader scale.

Positive impact

Our research shows significant positive impact on young people's hope, self-regulation, wellbeing, self-beliefs, open thinking, social effectiveness and more.

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We focus on

Innovation

Our program is a world-first in developmental coaching for young people.
Excellence

Everything we do, from our program design to our volunteer strategy, is driven by our pursuit of excellence.
Impact

Our work has changed the lives of our young participants, their families and the wider community.
Research

We incorporate cutting-edge research from the fields of psychology, coaching and adventure education into our unique program. Our impact is evaluated through an extensive research project.

Get involved

The Helmsman Project has big ambitions to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people in Australia. To achieve this, we need your help.

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Coach

Volunteer

Fundraise

Partner

CEO video blog: Hope

Our CEO Kim Larochelle shares how the value 'hope' helps frame her leadership and management strategies.

Our Impact

Hear first-hand from some of our participants, coaches and supporters about how The Helmsman Project has impacted their lives and the lives of those around them. Discover what coaching and adventure education really look like and how they contribute to positive change.

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