Youth disaster training program expands across Northern Rivers

A PROGRAM that trains young people to assist during natural disasters is being rolled out across the Northern Rivers, with schools, youth groups and community organisations encouraged to host workshops.

Run by resilience organisation Plan C, Surviving Disasters is a practical, hands-on training initiative designed to equip 14- to 24-year-olds with the skills, confidence and community connections needed to prepare for emergencies such as floods and fires.

Participants learn how to pack a go-bag, use a radio, identify online misinformation, and administer both first aid and psychological first aid. The program also includes bush survival training.

Originally launched as a small pilot with local schools in 2024, Plan C has since partnered with the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People to secure funding through Multicultural NSW’s COMPACT (Community Partnership Action) Program. This support will allow Surviving Disasters to run for the next four years.

Previously known as NextGen Navigators, the program was renamed after consultation with students from Evans River High School in Evans Head.

Recently, Plan C hosted a disaster preparedness workshop for Year 10 and 11 students at Byron Community College. The session complemented their Certificate II in Pathways to Employment, integrating skills in critical thinking, disaster planning and community resilience.

A four-day school holiday program will also be held in Kyogle in partnership with local youth agencies in July.

“Young people are often sidelined in disaster response, but they want to help — and they can,” Plan C’s youth disaster resilience coordinator and facilitator Jen Smith said. “After the 2022 floods, many were already stepping in to support neighbours, share information online, or help clean up. With the right support, they’re not just affected by disasters — they can be part of the response.”

Smith said that disasters are now a recurring reality in the area. “Young people in the Northern Rivers have lived through bushfires, major floods and evacuations, but most of them have never been given the tools to prepare or the space to talk about it,” she said. “This program changes that. It’s free, fun and you walk away with real-world skills.”

To find out more or to host a Surviving Disasters program, contact [email protected]