About Us
“Those who trust us, educate us”
THE STORY OF THE STREET UNIVERSITY
The Street University (a Ted Noffs Foundation initiative) began as an unprecedented project that found its home in a converted warehouse in Sydney’s South Western suburb of Liverpool. It exists to create opportunities for young people to realise their own innate capacity as well as their ability to affect change and to participate in the community around them. We have two campuses: STU Liverpool and STU Mt Druitt.
The Street University is designed to reach young people who would not otherwise engage with mainstream pathways of self-development. It operates on a multi-disciplinary model, drawing on the aims, resources and expertise of various fields including Education, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Crime Prevention, and Mental Health.
Both of our campuses are equipped with multimedia rooms, recording studios, counseling rooms, offices and classrooms. Our Liverpool campus also houses a cafe, library and a multi-purpose sports court. Our programs aim to assist in the development of young people in a variety of areas ranging from education to music, recreation and employment. Using these resources, The Street University seeks to develop the human and social capital needed to create an energy-positive community that grows itself.
It runs educational, recreational and arts-based programs on anything from literacy to linguistics, screening films to philosophy – depending on what our students are keen to learn. The programs are all designed around the concepts of INVOLVE, EXTEND and EXPRESS – they involve they young person, extend their skill base, and then express back to them their growth.
In this way, The Street University empowers people to address social issues through informed, local and timely action. Where the community sees a need, The Street University provides them an avenue to create their own remedy.
TED NOFFS FOUNDATION
The Ted Noffs Foundation was founded by the great Australian humanitarian, Reverend Ted Noffs, in 1970. During his remarkable career of pioneering initiatives for young people, Ted Noffs established Sydney’s first 24 hour crisis centre in 1968, set up the first Drug Referral Centre in Sydney in 1967, co-founded the Aboriginal Affairs Foundation in 1962 and was the co-founder of Lifeline in 1963.
The Ted Noffs Foundation today continues the legacy of Ted Noffs by providing essential services for young people and their families who are experiencing drug and alcohol problems and related trauma. Its range of programs for young people are all based on leading research, continually evaluated and government endorsed.
The Ted Noffs Foundation’s programs are not band-aid solutions. They are comprehensive life management programs, designed to equip youth in need with the skills to better manage their own lives. In essence – to help them help themselves.
The Ted Noffs Foundation is a secular organisation, and is not affiliated with any religious group or organisation.
OUR SPONSORS
The Street University is supported by a strong community of people: individuals, companies and organisations. Without them, we would not be able to provide our services to the youth. We interact with the community on a number of levels (partnerships, sponsorships etc). See our Projects page for more information about our partners. The Street University’s leading sponsors are Mounties and Property Industry Foundation.
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