Plan C is championing a new course to familiarise young adults with the challenges they face when disasters, such as floods, storms or fires, hit.

They are looking for 17 to 24-year-olds who want to make a difference - in their lives and the lives of those around them when difficult circumstances arise. The importance of this arose when Plan C participants spoke to the youth of Lismore and the Northern Rivers and realised they needed guidance.

Rena Frohman, the Program Director, says the course runs for four days. Each day, participants discuss a different aspect of disaster and survival and then take on a personal project.  

“So day one is all about disaster prevention, preparation, response and recovery.

“The second day is psychological first aid when you learn how to keep your cool in difficult situations.

“Day three, we have practical first aid skills. We have a fantastic person coming down who's doing scenario-based first aid. So it's not certified, but there'll be fake blood and bandages.

“Day four is a bushcraft skills day - very hands-on and interesting.

“Day five, your own time - is projects. We don't really mind how big or small the projects are. What we want is for the youth to have agency and power to say I can actually share this and connect with somebody else.”

For their project, the participants are encouraged to self-evaluate their situations at home and around them and to pursue some course of action to make a difference.  

“Examples of projects would be, we don't have a grab bag at home. We don't have an evacuation plan in my house. I'm going to go home and talk to my family or the people in my household about what we could do exactly.

“Maybe people might join the SES or the RFS. Other people, if they're in high school, might say, I'm going to teach people how to purify water, because I learned that skill on the course, and I'm going to teach my friends.”

To become a Next Gen Navigator, you are asked to bring your phone and critical thinking skills and attitude.  

Plan C is about Plan ‘Community’ and making people more capable and aware when a disaster looms.

“Plan C developed a five-day, free CCR training course, which they offered to adults across the seven LGA is in the Northern Rivers. By doing the course, you become a CCR or a Community Carer and Responder. There's 270 adult CCRS in the Northern Rivers. 

“The five days of training includes three days of knowledge about preparation for bushfires, storms, heat waves, a day of CPR and First Aid training and a day of psychological first aid training.”

The coordinators of the Plan C program named the CCR program for young adults the Next Gen Navigators.

Rena says, “The background to the program is we have a combination of funding from three different sources that have the goal of training 60 young people across the Northern Rivers in the Next Gen Navigators Program. We kicked off around March, just talking to young people.”

The three sources of finance for the Next Gen Navigator course come from the Siddle Family Foundation, the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and a private funder.

The classes start next week in Mullumbimby, where they have 15 students taking the course. Lismore is the next location to get an opportunity for involvement in August.

For the course in Lismore, beginning on Tuesday 13th August, apply by August 5th, here.

Plan C are hoping the success of this course will bring about further funding and courses in the future.