Red Dust is a Health Promotion organisation that delivers innovative health promotion programs and community development projects in partnership with remote communities.
Role models from sport, music, and the arts play an important part in the delivery of our programs. They educate, support and inspire young people in remote communities.
Red Dust collaborates with traditional owners, community leaders, allied health workers, sport and recreation officers, government and schools to deliver programs that best target specific health needs in each community.
Our Programs
Red Dust’s unique approach to achieving health outcomes is working. We partner with communities to best target specific local needs – this is not a one size fits all approach. We encourage Indigenous youth to learn more about health by using channels they respond to such as sport, art, music and dance. We improve knowledge and skills of Indigenous youth and inspire them to live a healthy lifestyle through the influence of positive role models.
Healthy Living Program
Healthy Living is a school based health promotion program delivered through three stages of week-long visits to schools in remote communities. Healthy Living utilises sport, art, music and dance to drive its messages resulting in fun, interactive and inclusive classroom activities. Role Models from sport, art, music, dance, business and health provide the expertise to support the delivery of Healthy Living.
Students learn the essential elements to good health including nutrition, hygiene, substance misuse and physical activity. Learning outcomes range from the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables to the definition and causes of common preventable diseases. Students are encouraged to be creative and learn new skills in sport, the arts and healthy cooking while interacting with role models.
Healthy Living addresses the key Red Dust outcomes of building knowledge and skills, assessing and supporting the provision of resources, providing and building leadership and fostering positive relationships.
Red Dust Alcohol Education & Community Liaison Program
The Alcohol education program consists of two key elements focused around improving knowledge and creating alternative pathways for young men living in and around Alice Springs town camps.
Education programs are delivered in schools, alcohol rehabilitation venues and during weekly men’s groups with the aim to lead to a reduction in excessive/harmful levels of alcohol consumption in this community.
The second part of the program involves mentoring, support and referrals for vocational training opportunities for Indigenous young men. The main process around this is regular (usually weekly) and flexible ‘yarning circle’ style support group meetings of a safe and supportive environment for Aboriginal men and also students in Alice Springs secondary schools.
Community Development and Infrastructure Projects
Red Dust development projects have included the financial support, development and construction of sporting facilities including; basketball courts, swimming pools, community gardens and football grandstands. Red Dust have also created and produced a film showcasing stories from people in Kintore centred around ‘return to country’ as well as instructional sports coaching DVDs.
These projects are always at the request of individual communities and require an extensive consultation process.