The Real Group are developing a program to assist disengaged youths who are not in education or employment to learn about chicken farming. Project Chicken Coop is designed to impart practical skills that are transferrable into other areas (including employment, study or home life) and to allow participants to experience for themselves the positive benefits of participating in employment and learning new skills.

The program is designed to provide youth with the opportunity to have a hands-on experience looking after and maintaining poultry. Participants will also learn the process of collecting eggs for consumption and use in local restaurants and cafes. Project Chicken Coop provides youth with the opportunity to sample working in the agricultural industry, with possible pathways into further education and or employment.

As a social farming program, Project Chicken Coop also offers benefits to the youth participants beyond physical hands-on experience, including personal development skills and improved mental health.

The aims of Project Chicken Coop are for participants to begin learning and displaying adult behaviours, gain independence, learn a lifelong skill, increase their employment prospects and increase their sense of confidence and self-worth.

Project Chicken Coop will be managed by a project manager and mentors who are suitably experienced and qualified in working with, mentoring and training extremely disadvantaged youth.

Project Chicken Coop is one of four complementary programs in our Real Skills initiative, that we’re developing in response to the needs of youth in the Capricorn Coast area who are involved with Youth who are severely disengaged from mainstream education and employment opportunities.