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Rural Youth

analysis:Young people are in a mental health crisis. The government admits it doesn't really know what to do about it

In the 12 months since Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions went from 20 back to 10, young Australians have suffered detrimental impacts to their mental health.
A young South Asian woman smiles standing against a red wall.

These students were promised a 'world-class' centre of education in agriculture. Three years in, they're still waiting

Students of a "world-class" agricultural school are stuck in hot, uncomfortable temporary classrooms as they wait for their promised "state-of-the-art" facilities to be built.
Three students stand in front of a fence watching the empty field where there school is supposed to be.

Meet your 2024 Trailblazer winners determined to make a difference

A comic writer, an Indigenous artist and an app developer are just some of the inspiring young Australians who have won this year's Heywire Trailblazer competition.
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An image of a red dirt landscape, in front of it are five young people each with a different coloured outline around them.

There's a new scholarship to help kids from the bush afford boarding school — the problem is getting one

About 4,000 kids from remote Australia rely on boarding schools to finish their education, but even at more affordable schools, fees are climbing. The federal government has offered a new scholarship to help, but only for a fraction of students from remote parts of the country.
Boy with cowboy hat looks pensive.

Coming out as trans can be tough in regional Australia. Here's how these three teens did it

Coming out can be a nerve-racking experience, but Adam, Eliott and Rowen did it and managed to find connection and community along the way.
An image composite of three young people, they all smile into the camera.

As another school year begins, what does the future hold for the class of 2023?

As another school year begins, the ABC speaks to 10 recent high school graduates from all over country Australia about their hopes, dreams and fears for the future. 
A profile shot of four young people.

Australia's junior rodeo champions dream of big bucks and buckles in the United States

Teenage cowboys and cowgirls are working hard to achieve their goals of competing on the bigger US rodeo circuit.
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A girl rides a horse around a barrel.

Young chase big bucks in West Australian shearing sheds amid workforce shortfall

Jak Rice went to shearing school hoping to build a career in wool, but what started as a necessity quickly became a passion as he works to improve his daily tally.
a man with a mullet in a blue singlet

Why young Tasmanians who move to the mainland might be better off

Young people relocating interstate for work or study is a familiar story in Tasmania. New research shows those who leave the island state are better off when it comes to work and education outcomes.
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A young woman looks into the camera unsmiling, she is sat on a rattan chair next to a pot plant.

As a child Jacob dressed up as a cowboy. Now he has ditched his engineering degree to be a bull rider in the US

From riding a 44-gallon drum in his backyard to riding 800-kilogram beasts, this young Queenslander is grabbing life by the horns and making a name for himself in one of the world's most dangerous sports.
A young cowboy wearing a straw cowboy hat, blue shirt and jeans and brown vest.

Mother forced to drive hours to meet sick newborn flown to hospital from country town

Libby Davie drove 700 kilometres to be with her newborn daughter after she was medically evacuated, and is among those who wonder if an over-reliance on the RFDS is putting too much stress on country people.
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A clinician holding a medical bag stands on the tarmac in front of a Royal Flying Doctor airplane

From the bush to the international stage, Sam is breaking records and paving the way

Sam Le Feuvre got involved in sport to connect with people like him. In just 12 months, the schoolboy became an Australian record holder before going on to compete for his country.
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A boy smiling holding a dog.

Consent Class: Educating young people about consent

A trainee doctor from western Queensland holds workshops to educate high school students about sexual harassment and consent. More than 5000 students have attended his classes and outback youth are not missing out.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 11 minutes 50 seconds

When Demi's coach died, her country athletics team started training themselves

Young country athletes often face more hurdles than their city counterparts, but that may soon change.
young runner taking her mark on track field

Teen reported missing by family found dead in quad bike accident

A teenager is found dead down an embankment hours after being reported missing by family members at Wynyard, in Tasmania's north-west.
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A close up of a person riding a red quad bike covered in mud.

This equestrian sport for 'adrenaline junkies' involves balloons, socks and tennis balls

Acrobatic dismounts, dramatic handovers and furious galloping are common in this niche sport, which is being played regional Victoria right now as part of a world championship event.
A man in a green shirt riding a white pony on a sandy field. He's leaning off the pony and placing a ring on an orange cone.

Cowgirl meet lifts spirits as women focus on themselves

Rural women have been building a sense of camaraderie and prioritising their own health and wellbeing as they enjoy their country lifestyle at the Cowgirls Gathering.
A woman in a floral shirt and cap poses next to a horse as the sun sets.

Some bush teens can't take off fast enough but here pilot training is stemming the fly-away factor

Kash Douglas, 16, is among a growing number of trainee pilots taking to outback Queensland skies, fuelling hope that teaching more people to fly will stop them from permanently leaving the bush.
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A young man wearing a high-vis vest sits in the small cockpit of a small plane on an airstrip.

Aussie athletes ready for global showdown that puts horse-riding, archery skills to test

Don Woods is one of four Australians competing at the world championships you've probably never heard of. He's in Mongolia to test his horseback archery skills against competitors from 20 countries.
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Young man riding horse in field with drawn bow about to shoot arrow at target

Can a Voice to Parliament improve indigenous lives?

What is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament hoping to fix? If the referendum passed, would it make it easier for these programs to get a national rollout, or just bureaucratic red tape that gets in the way?
ABC News Current
Duration: 13 minutes 10 seconds

Mini bulls at the heart of rodeo revival

Fat and fluffy mini bulls are here and ready to give the next generation of bull riders a taste of the bucking rodeo action, often described as the most dangerous eight seconds in sport.
A young rider holds on as a bull bucks in the rodeo ring.

Gift of the gab earns teenage auctioneer high praise

A few years ago, Tom Reynolds, 15, was selling toys and toilet paper to the highest imagined bidder to relieve his boredom during the pandemic. Now he and other young people in rural NSW are learning what it's like to sell cattle.
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A boy with arms outstretched speaks into a microphone

Teen auctioneers put to the test

Riverina high school students have put their vocal chords to the test to auction off sheep as part of a young auctioneers competition to showcase careers in agriculture.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds

Finished Tennant Creek youth centre remains closed

When a multi-million dollar youth centre was built in Tennant Creek, it was hoped it would help keep children safe.
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 2 seconds

Ringer wins Argyle diamond in revered campdraft finale that's 'a really big deal'

Twenty-year-old Emily Banks wins the Kimberley's Jewel of the North campdrafting competition in a field of competitive riders from the NT and WA.
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A woman smiles at the camera. She is standing next to a horse.