Young Leaders of Tasmania - YLOT

30/04/2026

Congratulations to our Young Leader, Maggie! Wishing you and your fellow finalists all the best for the gala Tasmanian Young Achiever Awards

28/04/2026

That’s a wrap on our Autumn Holiday Buddies! 🍂 🍁🌻
What a busy time it’s been from Sally Sunshine Entertainment, 🎈 gardening 🧑‍🌾 , cooking🧑‍🍳, dress ups 🦹, community access and more - we’ve loved sharing the holidays with you all!

Thank you to our Young Leader peer mentor Buddies and to our partners and awesome team of staff! 💚

Southern Support School

16/04/2026

A big welcome back to Reece High School as they return to the Young Leaders School Buddies Program at the North West Support School - Devonport Annex campus! 🎉

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, with students from the support school excited and ready to reconnect with their buddies from last year. The warm welcomes, smiles, and enthusiasm made for a fantastic start, setting the tone for another meaningful and rewarding year ahead.

We’re looking forward to seeing these connections continue to grow and the positive impact this program brings to everyone involved. 💚

14/04/2026

Hello North West Coast! 👋

I’m Cheryll, and I’m proud to be heading into my second year as School Buddies Program Manager delivering this incredible program in Burnie and Devonport.

I first became involved in this program through my grandson, Matty, at the North West Support School and saw firsthand the incredible impact it had on his life. As his carer, I have deep involvement in the disability sector and understand the importance of support and inclusion.

Over the past year, it has been so rewarding to watch mainstream students grow in confidence, understanding, leadership and compassion as they learn about disability and inclusion in such a hands-on and meaningful way.

It has been wonderful working with the North West Support School and seeing their students get so much out of meaningful social engagement with their peers from mainstream school settings – a reverse inclusion!

One of the most powerful parts of this program is watching each student's journey - building connections, breaking down barriers, and discovering what true inclusion looks like. It’s also a fantastic stepping stone for young people who may be interested in exploring a future in the disability or community services sector.

I’m so passionate about continuing to expand this program, and explore other YLOT opportunities on the North West Coast – watch this space! 💚

If you would like to explore how we can work together, please feel free to reach out to me at 📧 cheryll@ylot.org.au.

13/04/2026

Hey Southern Tasmania! 👋

My name is Jody, mum to two energetic, teenage boys and wife to a loving husband. I’m over the moon to be the new Program Manager for the YLOT School Buddies program in Hobart.

I’ve been privileged to work in schools and communities across Tasmania, bringing people together to learn and grow skills, confidence and connection. My passion and desire are to connect people to their passion and know their value.

I have much appreciation for the vision and mission of YLOT and the opportunities it brings to our young people of all abilities to lead and grow together. I’m so proud to become a part of YLOT!

I currently work part-time with YLOT, and part-time in my other passion hat of bringing community together to move, stay healthy and strong.

I look forward to what’s possible through my new role with YLOT.

Jode 😊💚

12/04/2026

Congratulations to our Young Leader, Maggie! ✨

Maggie is a finalist in the Tasmanian Young Achiever Awards, Service to the Disability Sector category!

Maggie has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the disability sector. She has been volunteering with us as a Young Leader Peer Mentor, commencing when she was in Year 6 in our School Buddies Program. Since then, Maggie has volunteered across our other programs - Holiday Buddies, Social Buddies and in our collaboration with Dark M**o for the access program.

Vote for Maggie in the People's Choice Awards and wish her all the best as she heads to the Gala Awards Dinner next month! Congratulations and Thank You Maggie, for all you do and bring to YLOT! 💚

🗳️ Vote here, click on post link and vote for Maggie in the list!:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ac5ANQmd5/

11/04/2026

This is the power of community! Well done to all involved and congratulations to our Northern Ambassador, Matty on your new wheels! There is no stopping you! 💚💚💚

What an incredible story of generosity, community spirit, and hope right here in Burnie!!!!

A huge congratulations to Matty Dunn (Burnie’s Young Ambassador) on achieving his learner’s driver licence a milestone that represents so much more than simply learning to drive. For Matty, it symbolises independence, confidence, and the ability to participate more fully in everyday life and within our community.

Matty’s journey has not been without its challenges. Living with Fanconi Anaemia, a rare genetic condition that requires ongoing medical care and support, means that everyday milestones can carry an even deeper significance. That’s why this moment is so special, it represents determination, resilience, and a young man embracing the opportunities ahead of him.

In a truly heart warming act of community kindness, the Rotary Club Of Burnie West, together with Burnie Mazda, have stepped forward to make an extraordinary difference in Matty’s life. They will be providing Matty with a near new demo model vehicle at no cost to him at all, an incredible gesture that will help him build independence and stay connected with his community.

This is Burnie at its very best; local organisations, local businesses, and caring individuals coming together to support Matt as he takes an important step forward.

Well done Rotary Club of Burnie West and Burnie Mazda for your generosity, and Matty we are all cheering you on for the journey ahead. 🚗✨

09/04/2026

Congratulations to these Young Leaders from Howrah Primary School who completed their first visit to Southern Support School yesterday.

These students visited their buddy classrooms. What a great first visit, there were lots of smiles! As they made their way back to Howrah Primary, the Young Leaders were asked to share in one word their first impressions :
💚empathetic
💚 intrigued
💚 fun
💚 courageous
💚 excited
💚 awareness
💚 understanding

02/04/2026

🐣 Happy Easter from everyone at YLOT! 🐣

This week our Hobart Social Buddies groups got together to celebrate Easter and honestly… what a party! 🎉 Seeing these amazing young people come together, have a laugh and enjoy each other's company is what it's all about. 💚🤩

Wishing our Participants, Young Leaders, families and staff a safe and happy Easter long weekend! 🐰🍫

02/04/2026

Welcome back for 2026 to Cooee Primary School 💚

Cooee Primary Young Leaders joined us again last week for their second YLOT School Buddies session. It was wonderful to see students settling in, supporting one another, and engaging so positively in classroom activities at West Support School - Burnie Campus .

The friendships and confidence developing already are something to be truly proud of! 🌟🌟

01/04/2026

As visits get underway across the state for our School Buddies programs, today we'd like to welcome Hillcrest Primary School Community as a partner school for our North West Support School - Devonport Campus ! ✨

Hillcrest Primary Young Leaders returned to NWSS recently for their second YLOT School Buddies visit, and the growth was amazing to see!

Students were more confident, engaged, and eager to connect as they worked together through classroom activities and conversations. Watching these friendships strengthen each week is what the program is all about.

Congratulations HPS Young Leaders and your NWSS Buddies! 💚

31/03/2026

First visits are always special! ✨Congratulations Romaine Park Primary School!

Our School Buddies session at the North West Support School - Burnie Campus brought students together in the classroom to learn, laugh, grow and connect. Watching students encourage each other and grow more comfortable together was a wonderful reminder of the power of inclusion and kindness.

Welcome to the YLOT School Buddies program Romaine Park Young Leaders, we can't wait to watch your journey this year! 💚😊