TRACTION is an innovative, hands-on, early intervention program aimed at capturing young people whose learning styles might exclude them from finding their voice and confidence in the traditional classroom setting and whose life circumstances have left them at risk of disengaging from school, peers, and community. To paraphrase a colloquialism, TRACTION seeks to build a fence at the top of the cliff rather than parking the ambulance at the bottom.
Founded in 2015 the TRACTION team has dedicated themselves to empowering young people in South East Queensland. Young people who are identified as being at risk of disengaging with the school system are referred through a number of pathways including schools and other youth-related services. Mentors walk alongside young people, building up hands-on skills, team work, leadership skills, self-confidence and interpersonal skills.
TRACTION runs a number of workshops where young people are guided through a building process learning mechanical concepts and fabrication techniques such as 3d Printing, as well as more artistic design elements when putting the finishing touches on these builds.
The Bike Build program is TRACTION’s flagship. Here young people get to either restore a donated bike or build a bike from scratch. They learn a range of building, repair, restoration, and maintenance skills. The work is not easy, it requires patience and commitment. With mentorship and facilitation participants take on these projects from start to finish, emerging with their own custom bike designs which they get to ride away on at the end of the program. It is a testament to their hard work, capacity to learn new things and be self-directed as well as learning from others.
Between 2015 and 2020 TRACTION has supported 1,225 young people through their various programs. A testament to these results is the positive feedback from school staff who report improvements in behaviour. Participant survey results captured from TRACTION’s Term 3 2020 Quarterly Report, show outstanding impacts with more than 90% of young people feeling that they had developed practical, team-work, and leadership skills; a greater sense of belonging, a greater sense of interconnection with peers and a sense of personal success.
If you would like to find out more about TRACTION’s programs:
Facebook, Instagram and Linked In: @tractionbuilds
E: ben@traction.community
T: 07 3102 9565
M: 0410988909
