The StepWise programme aims to strengthen community resilience, prevent violence and develop youth leadership by equipping young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities to lead positive change within their communities. Through early intervention, lifesaving skills, peer education and social action, the programme supports young people to build self-worth, belonging, communication and leadership skills, while providing positive pathways away from behaviours that may increase their risk of involvement in violence.
StepWise empowers young people to make safer choices, respond confidently in high pressure situations and challenge harmful behaviours, while developing transferable skills for their future employment. By supporting young people to become peer educators, leaders and positive community role models, the programme helps interrupt cycles of violence and builds young people’s capacity to make a lasting difference in their communities.
The step‑by‑step programme combines creative activities with structured group discussions, making the facilitated learning active, engaging, and accessible to a wide range of learning styles. Feedback from participants highlighted that this methodology increased their motivation and sense of ownership, which empowered them to contribute their own ideas and to play an active role in shaping the learning experience. The project’s methodology is centred on peer education, and by placing the young leaders’ experiences and insights at the heart of the process, creates a model that is relevant, empowering and enables young people to support peers who may be struggling.
