Youth Grants
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Winners Announced!
Congratulations to the Winners of our 2021 Youth Grants!
Deaf Children Australia's Youth Grants are designed to create and illustrate opportunities for personal development for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. This year, the amazing stories of our applicants truly inspired the Youth Grants team, and with so many amazing projects and people to work with, we're proud to announce the winners of our 2021 Youth Grants!
Please meet our winners:
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William Liitiaeinen (WA), who will be tearing up the running track and setting new personal bests.
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Caitlin Pickering (VIC), who will pursue a course in photography.
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Crystal Carling (QLD), who is competing in the Australian Croquet Association's Gateball Championships.
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Sam Armstrong (VIC), who will be participating in work experience at Mareeba Airport.
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Tayla Percy (VIC), who will be studying for a Certificate IV in Youth Work.
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Lanz Ang (VIC), who will be participating in the 2021 Deaf Golf Victoria Championships.
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Shrey Patel (SA), who is working on his fitness to improve his football and cricket skills.
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Tae Rampling (VIC), who will be getting his hours up with his driving lessons.
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Taine Venables (VIC), who will be putting the pedal to the metal in the 2021 Go-Karting Race of Stars.
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Catherine Thecla-Saun (VIC), who will be studying acting professionally after starring in her debut short film "Dry Fire".
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Penny Ward (NSW), who will be helping to run a wonderful camp for deaf and hard of hearing young people.
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Ro English (VIC), who will be studying a variety of art courses to help build their animation skills.
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Tom Sharples (VIC), who will be ready for the road with his driving lessons.
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And finally, Tiana Petridis (NSW) – who will be taking Auslan Classes so she can begin to follow her dreams of working to advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing community
Congratulations to all the winners of our 2021 Youth Grants, we’re so proud to be able to work with you all. We look forward to learning about your progress!
Our Youth Grants program will reopen in April 2022
Are you deaf or hard of hearing and 15 – 23 years old?
Did you know you can apply for a grant of up to $2,500 to help you achieve a personal goal or project?
Deaf Children Australia would like to help you spread your wings and dream big!
Youth Grants are available nationwide, across all corners of Australia.
Community Benefit:
The stories of grant recipients will inspire other deaf or hard of hearing youth to achieve their full potential.
The successful applicants’ projects should illustrate opportunities for personal development and benefits for the Deaf, hard of hearing, or wider Australian community.
Projects can be based on:
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Personal development
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Deaf community and Culture
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Leadership Challenges
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Education
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Representing local, state or national teams
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Life Experience
Details about how to apply are listed below. You never know where it will lead. Good luck!
Deaf Children Australia’s Youth Grants Program recognises the ideas and achievements of young deaf people from all over Australia and highlights the positive contributions that young deaf people make to society.
Deaf Children Australia’s Youth Grants were established in 2000 with support from our philanthropic partners. Deaf Children Australia adds to this Victorian funding to make the Youth Grants available Australia-wide.
Want to be inspired for your application? See some of our amazing Youth Grant recipients’ stories below!
2019 Recipients
Saskia was awarded a 2019 Youth Grant to attend the Australian All Schools National Athletics Competition Perth, WA from 5-8th December 2019.
Eleanor was awarded a Youth Grant in 2019 to attend ballet.
"I really enjoy going to ballet because I get to exercise and learn new skills. It is also nice because I have lots of nice friends and I enjoy hanging out with them."
2018 Recipients
Alan applied for a 2019 Youth Grant to participate in the 2019 Great Victorian Bike Ride. The Great Victorian Bike Ride (GVBR) was a ten days ride from Robe, South Australia to Torquay, Victoria. Over 4000 riders participated in the bike-ride.
Joshua applied for a 2019 Youth grant to assist him with his goal of gaining a plumbing apprenticeship. Joshua gained interest in his goal when he completed his year 12 VCAL. Joshua is completing his Certificate II Plumbing.
Jamie applied for a 2019 Youth Grant to attend the World Federation of the Deaf camp in Paris. This trip was a whole new experience for Jamie as Auslan is Jamie's second language and she was nervous about learning international sign language.
Kittipat was awarded a Youth Grant in 2018 to help him learn guitar. In his application, Kittipat said his goal was to learn to read music and build his confidence to play the guitar at school assemblies.
Aurora was a recipient of a 2018 Youth Grant to assist with her exciting exchange program to Colorado. This gave her the chance to pursue a lifelong dream.
Amy was a recipient of a Youth Grant in 2018 to help with her exchange trip to Japan to learn Japanese sign language and learn about the deaf community in Japan. Amy attended a school in Osaka and stayed with a family on Awaji Island.
Past Recipients
Our 2018 Youth Grant recipients are starting to undertake their projects! We were thrilled to receive our first report recently from Lenny, whose Youth Grant enabled him to fly from far east Arnhem Land to Darwin and then onto Tasmania for the AFL National Inclusion Carnival.
“My recent trip to India was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I got the chance to truly experience a culture that is different to the one that I live in everyday. I did this trip to India as part of an Antipodeans school team.
17 year old football fan Sam attended the Melbourne City Young Leaders Week as part of the 2018 DCA Summer Holiday Program. The Young Leaders Program is an initiative set up by Melbourne City Football Club, and aims to educate and empower young people to use football as a sustainable force for social good in their communities.
Cate was awarded a Youth Grant in 2018 to attend the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC). Cate spent ten days in Washington, DC meeting fellow Global Young leader delegates from all over the world.
Eighteen year old Rayan was born hearing but became profoundly deaf as a five year old girl, losing her ability to communicate with her hearing family. She received cochlear implants at the age of six, shortly after she arrived in Australia.
This year, for the first time the ‘Dingoes’ – the men’s under 21 Deaf Australian basketball team – was invited to attend the Deaf Basketball World Championships hosted in Washington DC.
Maddison applied for a DCA Youth Grant to do a week of work experience at the Cochlear Implant Clinic and Cochlear Care Centre in East Melbourne, observing speech pathology and audiology sessions as well as pre- and post- cochlear implant surgery patients!
Alex Kirchner received a DCA Youth Grant to attend the 2017 Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey, representing Australia in swimming.
“When I initially applied for the 2016 Deaf Children Australia Youth Grant, I asked for funding so that I could continue living at the University of Melbourne’s International House. I needed this funding so that I could focus on my studies and engage more within the community around me."