A collaborative approach through Penrith’s Sticks to Stadium Program welcomes Dubbo youth 

Seeking out new opportunities, DHUB teamed up with the Penrith Panthers to give Dubbo youth a weekend to remember.

With COVID restrictions lifting throughout the state, this was the perfect time for DHUB to link in with the Penrith Panthers and their Sticks to Stadium Program– a community program designed to educate and inspire First Nations youth from regional communities. It did just that.

The program opened up an opportunity for eight Dubbo youth, along with the Orana Mid-Western Police District Aboriginal Youth Team (AYT), to travel to Penrith for a weekend full of once-in-a-lifetime activities.

The first stop of this three-day adventure was a tour of the Panthers Rugby League Academy, where the team met Nathan Cleary and found out what a training day looks like.

The afternoon gave the group some free time before dinner, which they used to head over to Aqua Golf for a few rounds. A LOT of golf balls seemed to find the water rather than the targets, but this activity gave the team time to relax and bond after a long trip from Dubbo.

After recharging the batteries in the accommodation at Cables Wake Park overnight, we headed out to Australia Zoo. There we met with Josh from the Culture team, who invited us to experience the Bungaribee Dreaming Incursion Program.

It was a day of education, including talks about all the different Nations on the Map of Indigenous Australia and viewing artifacts from those different nations and what they were used for. Ready for hands-on activities, the team crushed Ochre and wore it proudly.

After a long day at the Zoo, it was time to get game-ready!! The Penrith scarves and ponchos were on, so we could cheer for the Panthers against the Sharks.

These experiences were possible thanks to Mariah and Glen from the Panther’s Sticks to Stadium team. A huge thank you to Transport for NSW for the funding for transport for this trip. Without TARP funding opportunities like this, our regional youth would never be able to experience the amazing things we did.  

About DHUB

 As part of the NSW Government’s OCHRE initiative (Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment), Bamara leads the work of the Dubbo Opportunity Hub (DHUB), a program for Aboriginal students in Dubbo and Wellington focusing on transitioning from education to careers and employment.