We empower young people in Murwillumbah and the Northern Rivers
We believe every young person deserves a second chance, a place to belong and the support to build real skills for life. We’re here to help young people who feel disconnected, unsupported or are at risk of entering the criminal justice system.
Our mission and vision
We envision a world where vulnerable young people are empowered with opportunities for belonging and the skills to find their individual purpose.
Our purpose is to co-create a strengths-based, safe, supportive and inclusive community with young people that improves belonging, resilience, life skills and work pathways.
Our goal is to help young people
We believe every young person deserves a second chance, a place to belong and the support to build real skills for life. We’re here to help young people who feel disconnected, unsupported or are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. RiverTracks exists to help you people find a positive path forward in life.
RiverTracks helps young people rebuild confidence, reconnect with learning and discover their potential – which benefits families, schools and the wider Northern Rivers community.
At RiverTracks we aim to:
- Empower young people to shape their own future
- Create safe spaces with supportive mentors
- Ignite skills, belonging and cultural connection
- Build positive relationships with community, mentors and peers
- Give young people a voice
- Provide adaptable, holistic and practical support
- Take responsibility and stay accountable
- Partner with community to help RiverTracks thrive
Our story
RiverTracks started in 2021 after a young person shared with one of our founders, Ahri Tallon, how transformative their experience at a similar program, BackTrack in Armidale, had been. That conversation ignited a vision for a local program tailored for youth in the Northern Rivers.
With the guidance of teachers, parents, youth workers, police, community members and passionate founding members, we turned that vision into a reality. We asked the community to dream big with us. Together we raised $50,000 to bring RiverTracks to life.
Read more about our founder and their motivations for starting RiverTracks.
We started from humble beginnings in a room under the Scout Hall in Murwillumbah, with just a toolbox, a dream and the determination to make a difference.
What we lacked in resources, we made up for in heart, vision and a belief in what was possible for young people.
We quickly grew to a thriving 3-day program designed by trained youth workers.
Even when setbacks like the 2022 floods destroyed our home base, we turned our programs outward, working side-by side-with a team from BackTrack and our local youth to clean homes, repair fences and support the vulnerable in our community.
We work with young people aged 12 to 20, offering hands-on programs that are flexible, strengths-based and responsive to individual needs.
We partner with schools, families, police and community groups to provide alternative education pathways, mentoring and support for at-risk youth in the Northern Rivers.
RiverTracks is a community. Our focus is not on deficits but on strengths – finding each young person’s skills and passions and from that space building confidence, skills, resilience and pathways forward.
Our impact isn’t measured by programs delivered, but by futures transformed. And we’re just getting started.
To understand why our work matters, these are the realities many young Australians are facing.
- Youth mental heath: In the previous 12 months, an estimated 1 in 7 children and adolescents aged 4–17 years experienced a mental illness.
- School dropouts: In 2024, just under 80% of Australian students stayed in school from Year 7/8 through to Year 12, with approximately 1 in 5 students not making it to Year 12.
- Youth homelessness: In 2022, approximately 3 million people were at risk of homelessness, a 63% increase since 2016. Children and young people (aged 0–24) make up 37% of people experiencing homelessness (ABS)
- Youth crime: In 2023–24 there were 340,681 offenders proceeded against by police across Australia.
RiverTracks’ programs are built on evidence-based practices and delivered with care, flexibility and respect. Our approach is:
- Strengths-based, early intervention support
- Holistic and responsive – meeting each young person where they’re at
- Hands-on learning, rather than academic
- Wrap-around care including mentoring, life skills and links to services
- Trusted by parents, schools, police and local community partners
Join us on our journey
Do you want to help young people thrive? Support RiverTracks by donating or simply spreading the word.