FYD's Project K is a 14-month programme for Year 10 and Year 11 students. It uses the backdrop of New Zealand’s beautiful outdoors to help 13 – 15 year olds who lack self-confidence or with other factors holding their development back.

The programme inspires young people to reach their full potential through building self-confidence, teaching essential life skills such as goal setting and team work, promoting good health and a positive attitude.

Project K has three core components, Wilderness Adventure, Community Challenge and Mentoring, students learn:

• Self-reliance
• Team building
• Self-confidence
• Perseverance
• Goal setting
• Good health and life skills

The unique Project K process was developed in consultation with leading educationalists and youth workers and is a catalyst for positive change. Students do not pay to take part in the programme.

Project K is run in participating schools and delivered through licensed Community Partners (local trusts) across the country, ensuring the initiative remains community driven. The Community Partners are responsible for hiring staff and service providers, programme delivery and fundraising.

FYD's National Support Office provides intellectual property, programme materials, quality assurance, coaching, national networking, research and evaluation and other support to licensees.

Year 10 students who will most benefit from the Project K programme are identified in part through a self-efficacy questionnaire which is completed by the whole year. The concept of self-efficacy is a key factor in enhancing personal achievement and wellbeing. The strength of self-efficacy beliefs influences how an adolescent thinks, feels, motivates him or herself, behaves and therefore ultimately how successfully the young person will make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Project K builds self-efficacy by providing challenges that enable students to experience success through effort and perseverance.

The Self-efficacy Questionnaire, along with teacher input, is used to identify the Project K group. Students are then invited to participate (with their parents/caregivers' permission), at no cost. Students cannot be referred.

Research is an essential part of all FYD’s programmes, each one is thoroughly evaluated. This allows us to ensure the programmes are working, measure success and report on outcomes.

Along with a dedicated in-house team of research specialists, FYD is supported by several universities including the University of Auckland and Massey University.

Project K gets results!

Key findings include:

• Improved self-confidence and focus
• Improved academic results
• Improved social skills
• Reduced negative behaviour such as smoking and truancy
• Improved motivation

Click here to read more about the evaluation.