Roots and Wings Network

STEP Programme is a 12 month youth development journey for youth aged 20–30 years. It is designed to support personal growth for the betterment of the broader community.

Our Four Pillars

Self-Awareness

We support participants to understand how their past and present experiences shape their beliefs, behaviours, and sense of self. This awareness includes recognising how we impact others/the world, and how we can act more intentionally within it.

Community

STEP is built on the belief that growth happens in relationship with others. Participants learn alongside each other, practise empathy, and experience the power of collective learning and shared accountability.

Exposure

Through curated outings and engagements, participants are exposed to new spaces, people, and stories they may not otherwise encounter, expanding perspective, confidence and possibility.

Skills

Participants develop practical, future-focused skills relevant to work, leadership, and life, grounded in real projects and lived experiences rather than theory alone.

Why STEP Exists

The STEP Programme was developed in response to:

Gaps in traditional education and youth development pathways
A growing need for community, belonging, and safe spaces
Limited access to new places, perspectives, and opportunities for many young people
The need for youth development approaches that centre self-development as a pathway to community development

STEP offers a different way of learning, one that values lived experience, reflection, and connection alongside skills development.

Our Approach

STEP approaches development through real-world experience through project-based learning, reflection, and shared learning rather than traditional classroom-based models.

Exposure Outings

Participants visit new spaces, communities, and environments.