CCA is committed to assisting young people to become healthy and productive adults. Together with community partners, we deliver support services and life skill development programs that meet the needs of and build the strengths of young people in our community. Our mission is to work in partnership with youths, their families, government funders, supporters, community residents, corporate businesses, community organisations and people who work with young people, to help young people develop healthy and productive adult lifestyles.

CCA youth group, Arc-Hive supported by CCA and the City of Parramatta, is a collective of young artists who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community. The Arc-Hive drumming program is a ten sessions program focuses on relationship themes, including identity, teamwork, communication, values and managing emotions.

The drumming program aims to:

• Improve individuals’ ability to work together and co-operate,
• Improve young people’s self-regulation of emotions and behaviour,
• Motivate levels of concentration, persistence and commitment,
• Raise awareness of social skills and how we relate to others, and
• Raise self-confidence and self-esteem and to have fun.

Research shows that young people develop positive attributes through learning and experiencing. The Drumming program is tailored to propel young people’s learning of new knowledge, skills, and social competencies that they need to take on adult roles, responsibilities and relationships successfully. Young people work as a team to set and enforce group boundaries, discuss social issues through rhythm analogies and prepare for group performance.

The final performance (Arc-Hive Drumming Show) is an integral part of the program; it is a demonstration of both social and musical learning. The performance element highlights the potential of each individual, provides recognition of achievement and also a connection to the broader community.

In addition, with an additional challenge such as the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis, finding meaningful employment is more challenging than ever. In response, CCA challenges communities to create opportunities and rally behind our youth and engage all community sectors in building their assets. Some Arc-Hive participants attended our youth resilience-building program to help them obtain the soft skills and modern skills needed for the labour market of today and the future, such as jewellery making and social media marketing skills.

Through an innovative and specialised future skills curriculum, youth are equipped with skills to help prepare them for the jobs of the future. It includes competencies such as collaboration and teamwork, growth mindset, agency, adaptability, resiliency and creative thinking that are a competitive advantage for the youth today and in the future. Lastly, Arc-Hive youth participants completed the mural at the end of August, which they had been working on since July. It was part of the Art program in conjunction with Jewellery making program aligned to express their identity, develop ownership and sense of belonging.