Strengthening the capability of the sector
In the dynamic landscape of multicultural youth development, Chelsea King, CMY’s Senior Practitioner – Sector Capability Building, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the forefront. With a career deeply rooted in women-focused and youth organisations across Canada and Australia, Chelsea has dedicated the last 10 years to capacity building through training, workshops, and community development activities.
Before joining CMY, Chelsea played a pivotal role in a national youth organisation, focusing primarily on training development for young people and family programs. This background laid the foundation for Chelsea’s current position leading the Sector Capability team at CMY.
Over the past three and a half years at CMY, Chelsea has progressed from a Sector Development Officer to the Senior Practitioner, overseeing the team’s efforts in enhancing the skills, knowledge and capability of those working with multicultural young people, families, and communities.
“As a multicultural person myself, I was drawn to CMY for having a diverse workplace that I can find my place in. Working at CMY was an opportunity to be part of an organisation dedicated to holding space and giving a voice to young people, families and communities that are often not represented or heard.”
Chelsea’s most valued aspect of her role is the engagement with people from various walks of life during workshops and training sessions.
“Every week I have the opportunity to hear so my different life experiences and perspectives on cultural identity. It constantly pushes me to rethink my own perspectives and biases. I’ve grown so much as a human through those conversations and I absolutely love that.”
Chelsea and her team focus on developing and delivering a diverse range of capability-building activities which aim to enhance the skills of individuals working with multicultural young people, including interactive training modules, impactful resource creation, and the facilitation of networks and public events.
“An essential feature of our work is collaboration. In order to deliver high quality and evidence-based work, we collaborate with a number of teams within CMY who are connected to young people and communities.”
The Sector Capability team partners with various internal teams and external stakeholders from sectors such as Youth Justice, Education, Mental Health, Family Violence, and Out of Home Care, to ensure the delivery of high quality, evidence-based initiatives. The team adds value to stakeholders by creating spaces for learning, discussion, and reflection on culturally-responsive approaches. Through these activities, participants have a rare opportunity to contemplate their own culture and identity, fostering cultural inclusion not just in their workplaces but in their lives as well.
Looking ahead, Chelsea and her team are gearing up for a pivotal year focused on re-engaging the sector and fortifying relationships that experienced a dip in momentum due to lockdowns and travel restrictions during the pandemic.
For the latest professional development opportunities, click here.