The Queensland Police Service (QPS) Pipes and Drums has launched a 'School of Rock' style youth engagement initiative with Project Booyah Moreton.
Designed to foster confidence and teamwork, the 'Rock Yah' program uses the power of music to build social skills among young people.
Participants in the program get hands-on experience with various instruments, before coming together for a collaborative jam session to show off their new-found skills.
Project Booyah is a QPS led early intervention program, engaging at-risk or disconnected young people, seeking to address their disengagement from family, community, and education, to reduce their likelihood of offending.
The nine girls from Project Booyah Moreton are among a cohort of 83 young people who have successfully graduated from various Project Booyah sites across the state this semester.
Senior Constable Hope Drury said music is a big part of the girls lives and this session with Pipes and Drums has helped grow their self-confidence.
"A lot of these young people don't believe in themselves at all, so to actually succeed and play something at the end of the day and to have the teamwork to play together is so impactful for them," Senior Constable Drury said.
"The girls are all saying they now want to keep playing instruments."
Since 2022, offending rates among Project Booyah participants dropped 86% while they were in the program and 60% following.
In the first semester of 2023, 1-in-3 young people gained employment through the program and 73% either re-entered the education system or engaged in further training.
The QPS Pipes and Drums are commonly recognised for their ceremonial duties but are equally committed to running community and youth engagement programs, including similar initiatives like 'School Rocks' and 'Cops in Kilts'.
Officer in Charge of Pipes and Drums, Acting Senior Sergeant Ciaron Jackson said they aspire to expand the program to Project Booyah cohorts throughout the state.
"Music is a massive icebreaker and we've gotten a great response from the kids we've collaborated with so far," Acting Senior Sergeant Jackson said.
"It's amazing watching a lot of the preconceived ideas just wash off them and they just get stuck into it. That's one of the beautiful things about music."
For more information on QPS Pipes and Drums or to make a booking, visit https://www.police.qld.gov.au/queensland-police-pipes-drums.
To find out more about Project Booyah or to refer a young person, visit Project Booyah | A Queensland Police, Youth Leadership and Mentor Program.
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