Stories & ideas
Reflections, practical guides and ideas from our work alongside young people, communities and practitioners. Looking for project examples? Explore our case studies.
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Why I Keep Coming Back to Working with Young People
By Dimitrios Papalexis
From accidental to intentional youth worker: a reflection on young people’s strengths, community contribution and staying connected to the heart of youth work.
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From Black Opals to Quirky Castles: Creativity, Humour and Community in Lightning Ridge
By Dimitrios Papalexis
Black opals, handmade castles and a giant emu: what Lightning Ridge can teach us about local gifts, creative identity and strengths-based community development.
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Listening to all our voices: young people imagining the future of Lithgow
By Dimitrios Papalexis
How creative facilitation and a strengths-based approach helped young people explore their town, share their experiences and put forward ideas for change. What happens when we give young people space to tell us how they really feel about their community,…
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The Forgotten Art of Community Development
By Dimitrios Papalexis
I notice the person standing at the edge of the room. I get curious about the locked garden, the underused hall, the young person quietly shuffling a deck of cards while everyone else talks. I want to know what people…
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How to Facilitate an Appreciative Inquiry Workshop
By Dimitrios Papalexis
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) isn’t something we teach – it’s something we experience.When people discover how different it feels to talk about what gives life, rather than what’s wrong, they start to see change begin immediately. Whether you’re working with young…
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Podcast Episode: From Passion to Action: Growing a Community of Cooks River Changemakers
By Dimitrios Papalexis
Pip: What if the first question you asked a community wasn’t “what’s broken here” but “what do you already have?” That’s the thread running through dsoulgen’s recent work, and it turns out the answer is usually more interesting than the…
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From Youth Voice to Youth-Led Possibility: Co-designing a Social Enterprise in Rozelle
By Dimitrios Papalexis
What changes when we stop asking young people only what they need – and start asking what they care about, what strengths they bring and what they would like to create? In 2020, Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre contracted Soulgen to lead…
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Longing to Belong: An Experiential Approach to Belonging
By Dimitrios Papalexis
Everyone seems to be talking about loneliness and belonging these days.Maybe we are reaching some kind of collective realisation about how disconnected we have become – and how deeply many of us are searching for belonging.Perhaps. But I don’t want…
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