About us

Here at the Y:

• We believe in the power of young people.
• We believe all young people are capable of success.
• We believe in providing every young person the opportunity to be healthy, happy, and connected.

The Y recognises the importance of providing the right learning environment to improve social, educational and employment outcomes for young people, in particular, those who have experienced challenges effectively engaging in education or training. As a nationally federated organisation the Y has established vocational schools across Brisbane, WA and now Victoria.

The Y Community Schools in Victoria will operate as special assistance schools, offering a school re-engagement program that helps students who find it difficult to thrive in the mainstream education system.

The Y Community School model is based on establishing secondary school campuses for up to 120 students, with an initial focus on Years 10-12. The school will operate smaller class sizes and bring together educators, youth workers and counsellors to create a safe and positive environment that draws out students’ strengths and empowers them to create a better future for themselves. To support pathways to further training and / or employment the school will offer Vocational and Certificate I, II and III qualifications, as well as Foundation Training (i.e., practical courses and projects aimed at preparing students to enter their preferred training area) and employment connections, such as apprenticeships and traineeships.

To support these students the school will adopt a ‘THRIVE’ framework which takes an evidence-based approach to supporting academic achievement, wellbeing, and transition to employment. Most importantly, the school is a partnership, with students having a voice in shaping their own development.

Karen Major- Director

Karen is a passionate leader of human rights, cultural diversity and community inclusion for each and every person in our society.  Her professional career has evolved to include numerous leadership roles in difference capacities within the disability sector in both Australia and overseas over the past 30 years.   Karen has taken on strong advocacy roles to lead change on systemic issues to ensure all people with disabilities will have the same opportunities as every other person in society.

Amiinah Dulull – Director
Amiinah is a lawyer, working primarily in financial services regulatory and funds management areas of law. Amiinah strives to give back to the community by contributing to not-for-profit organisations, especially to the ones that seek to enable a fairer, more inclusive, and democratic voice of underrepresented groups and perspectives. In a volunteering capacity, Amiinah assisted Refugee legal as a pro bono lawyer for over a year in 2021 and hopes to further represent the voice of young people at the Board level at Y Whittlesea.

Narelle Sketcher- Director

Narelle is in her 10th year as the Principal of Mt Evelyn Christian School, and continues to serve with passion and enthusiasm.  Narelle has also been a sessional adjunct lecturer with the National Institute of Christian Education. It was through the Institute that she completed her Masters in 2005. Prior to working at DCC, she taught for 13 years in the Senior School at MECS and until recently, she served on the Board of a children’s charity, Cottage By the Sea, which provides respite holidays and support for children from disadvantaged families.

Sandra McKechnie- Director

Sandra is the Director of the Whittlesea Tech School and has built this into an outward focussed and innovative hub for the area. She has a passion for innovative learning that prepares students for the modern world and the world of work. In her role Sandra supports all schools in the area and has an interest in students with additional needs and those who do not fit the conventional models of education. Prior to her role with the Tech School Sandra spent an extended period in the university sector lecturing in her specialist areas of biology Microbiology and Immunology. Sandra has qualifications in science and education with a PhD in Microbiology, along with degrees and post graduate qualifications in Biotechnology, Secondary Education and Tertiary education. Sandra has also been involved in small business and consulting.

Ru Thomas- Secretary

Ru is a qualified CPA with a master’s in business administration. She has worked with Y Victoria in various financial roles for 15 years and with Y Whittlesea for the past 4 years. Prior to that her experience has been with Ernst and Young in external audit and financial control in other commercial manufacturing organisations. She is passionate about giving back to the community and has held many volunteer roles within the local primary school and church with her most recent roles being School council president and Church treasurer.

Paul van Breugel – Principal

Paul is an experienced educator and school leader having spent more than a decade as a secondary school principal in the government system and 2 ½ years leading as executive principal of a special assistance school in the independent sector.

Paul has a Batchelor of Humanities and Social Sciences (History, Politics & Sociology) an Honours Degree Humanities and Social Sciences (Politics) and a Graduate Diploma of Secondary Education.

Paul has always had a passion for disadvantaged and disengaged young people working with long term unemployed prior to taking up teaching and then taking up teaching and leadership roles in the Latrobe Valley in schools with high proportions of disadvantaged students.