This is a joint event organised by STEPS Group Australia and our stakeholders to work with our local communities, as well as an opportunity to promote social and emotional wellbeing for SEE program participants.

Over the next five weeks, students will enjoy the beautiful dry season’s invigorating early mornings while they take active steps towards healthier hearts and minds.

The inaugural walk took them from the STEPS Casuarina Campus to Wanguri Park, where they discovered a vibrant alleyway adorned with colourful murals and inspiring quotes.

At the park, they had the chance to exercise on the playground and even learn a few tai chi moves.

Emma Wu, STEPS Casuarina Business Manager, said their first session was a huge success.

“Everyone is keen for the next walking session, and you can just tell they have a bit more pep in their step, like they’ve got more energy and more of an appreciation for the gorgeous environment we live in,” she said.

“The walking session is just one way we prove to our participants that learning needs to happen outside of the classroom, not just inside.”

While the walks provides enriching exercise and community connections for our SEE participants, there’s an extra benefit for our AMEP participants; those who are learning

English have the opportunity to communicate with the others in the walking sessions, including an English tutor volunteer.

Walking 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 35% — and that’s just one of the many benefits – so get out in the sunshine and explore your community! Want to join your local walking group? Check out the Heart Foundation’s walking website for more information.

Do you want to learn more about our AMEP program or enrol? Click here (Adult Migrant English Program – STEPS Group Australia (stepsamep.com.au)) for more information. 

Local employers from Charlie’s and Little Flyers joined staff and students to celebrate the achievement of STEPS’ amazing Casuarina cohort.

After two weeks of work experience, nearly half of the participants from the program had secured employment, joining the industries of interior designing, childcare and hospitality. 

STEPS Casuarina runs Ready for Work program twice a year aiming to prepare eligible students to join the Australian workforce with the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence. 

Are you an AMEP student looking for work? You may be eligible to take part in STEPS’ Ready for Work short course. Get in touch with us to find out how to enrol!

The festival’s unofficial mascot is an orange monster nicknamed ‘Tentacle Mike’. This year the council has asked STEPS AMEP students to utilise their sewing skills to transform the virtual monster into a tangible stuffed toy.

Our talented AMEP students used their creativity to create ‘Tentacle Mike’, working with only a sketch and picture of Mike’s top half. Together they created a pattern for the sewing group to use, and from the pictures, it looks like they have successfully bought Mike to life! The ladies will be making 20 of these lovely mascots for the upcoming Palmerston Youth Festival happening from 6-12 July.

Pictured is our lovely Lidia from the Ukraine, who created the first ‘Tentacle Mike’ based on the design brainstormed by Mr White along with their teacher.

Chloe enjoyed her time at the veterinary hospital, but her time was cut short as she had an allergic reaction to some of the animals.

Chloe performed all tasks competently and showed initiative at times when her supervisor was busy.

Nyalueth has a great work ethic but needs a little more practice in answering business telephone calls. Our trainer Wendy has been working with Nyalueth to assist her with answering phones in the workplace.

Nyalueth performed all tasks competently and showed initiative at times when her supervisor was busy.

To help with the transition to work in Australia, Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) students may be eligible to participate in STEPS’ Ready for Work program. Interested? Follow the link to find out more.

Niv was very happy with the work Mai carried out at the retail store.

Mai performed all tasks competently and showed initiative at times when her supervisor was busy.

To help with the transition to work in Australia, Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) students may be eligible to participate in STEPS’ Ready for Work program. Interested? Follow the link to find out more.

Laddaporn has a wonderful work ethic, and she was advised that she would be an asset to any company that employed her.

Laddaporn performed all tasks competently and showed initiative at times when her supervisor was busy.

Vinnies Palmerston were really happy with Chariya, expressing she fit in very well with staff and volunteers and they would be more than happy for Chariya to continue volunteer work with them. Chariya really enjoyed working at Vinnies, and hopefully she will continue with her volunteer work.

To help with the transition to work in Australia, Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) students may be eligible to participate in STEPS’ Ready for Work program. Interested? Follow the link to find out more.

The students brought along their children to be involved in the lamington making at Gray Community Hall.

These activities are part of workshops that are delivered during the teaching break in the AMEP Program.

The Adult Migrant English Program provides unlimited hours of free English language lessons to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants. Are you looking for work? AMEP students may be eligible to take part in STEPS’ Ready for Work short course. Enrol at your local STEPS site or enquire with us for more information.

On December 1 the exhibition opened at Darwin Supreme Court, featuring a large selection of entries. The opening night of the exhibition was well attended. 

We are very pleased to announce that our Palmerston AMEP students won the “International Artist Award” for 2023.  This is a great honour for our students.

“I enjoyed the tour and it was so majestic and I loved the ambience and the history of Parliament house. It was such a beautiful and wonderful place.”

AMEP Student

Now in its 27th year, the DCLS is an event led and facilitated by Darwin Community Legal Service annually,

In 2023, the United Nations (UN) have declared the International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace.

Recognising the importance of developing more peaceful societies through advancing equality, tolerance, human development and promoting human rights, and in this regard calling for investment in education, including through effective policies and practices, towards promoting respect, reconciliation and a culture of peace and non-violence.

This theme calls upon the community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace and trust in relations between communities as a value that promotes sustainable development, peace and security and human rights.

The Palmerston AMEP Students will share their stories through their art that will be part of this exhibition.

Our students Artwork will be displayed at the Darwin Supreme Court:

Friday 1 December – Thursday 14 December 2023 – open to the public

Opening Night and Award Ceremony: – open to the public

Darwin Supreme Court

5:30pm Friday 1 December 2023

Want to learn Enlglsh? Start your learning journey and further build your English language skills with STEPS AMEP. We have classes in Casuarina, Palmerston and Alice Springs. Call 1300 585 868 to find out more about classes in Casuarina and Palmerston and 08 8950 7600 for classes in Alice Springs. 

1. Personal creations: these skilled individuals fashion items for personal use, celebrating individuality.
2. Mending matters: mending isn’t just about repairs-it generates donations that sustain their resources.
3. Stitching for good: their talents shine through charity projects, benefiting “Uniform 4 Kids” and orphaned wildlife.
4. Spreading joy: they sew for community events, spreading harmony and appreciation.

In a relaxed space, the sewing group chat, enhancing language skills and numerical proficiency-a side benefit of sewing. The group also learn about native Australian wildlife, crafting pouches for orphaned joeys. Wildcare‘s Lesley White’s annual visit brings this cause to life.

Sewing here isn’t just about fabric and thread; it’s about creating connections, nurturing skills, and making a difference that stretches far beyond their stitches.

Come and join us – beginners are very welcome.

Over 40 participants and service providers joined this event immersing in fun and informative activities.

We kicked off with an information session where AMEP and SEE programs were introduced to all participants with photos showcasing the wonderful learning experience STEPS Casuarina has been offering over the years.  

Our AMEP 75th Anniversary award of excellence winner Amalynn Manlutac also received her certificate and presented a touching and encouraging speech. 

After Amalynn’s speech, guests went on a STEPS tour led by our student ambassadors. To ensure a smooth experience, Student Support Officer Yeimi Salazar Villa prepared the student ambassadors with training sessions over three weeks. Work procedures, ambassador work schedule and tour path were explicitly presented during the sessions. 

Cheered by the songs performed by STEPS music band, guests signed up with various hands-on activities offered at the Open Day. They made their own coffee using an espresso machine under the guidance of teacher Joyce Wu.  Teacher Catherine Brewster’s mini-English class had a hilarious moment when discussing the use of language in life and at work. Henna hand design was a big hit with crowds of people lining up to get their hands decorated with aesthetic patterns. It was led by our receptionist Bhavyah and two students. 

 STEPS staff and students collaborated closely to ensure a wonderful experience for our community. The teamwork demonstrated from this event helped lead another success for the Casuarina team.

Are you newly settled in Australia looking to improve English or employability skills and become ready for work? Get in touch with our team to enrol in one of our classes. Click on these links below:

Most days in Alice Springs locals can see an African man pushing trolleys at their local Coles Supermarket, while Ruben says it can be a tiring job, it’s one he’s so grateful to have and one he enjoys.

Ruben Tut and his wife Mary came from South Sudan to Australia a few years ago, they first arrived and lived in the central highlands of Victoria, before moving out to Alice Springs with their two children.

Both Ruben and Mary religiously attend their Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) classes at STEPS Education & Training in Alice Springs to improve their English language skills, and some mornings can be seen knocking on the classroom door, eager to start their lessons.

STEPS Business Manager Philip Allnutt says he admires Ruben’s tenacity.

“The way Ruben is so dedicated to improving his life is extraordinary,” he said.

“He has such a great personality, and a real sense of humour, but it’s his dedication to learning and improving his family’s life, that is a real stand out.

“He wants to learn and is so committed, he hangs off every word his AMEP trainers say.

“In his 51 years, he’s seen a lot and also been through a lot,” Philip said.

Philip says Ruben’s journey has been remarkable, from a construction background in war-torn and repressed South Sudan to life in Kenya, working for the United Nations Command Rear in refugee camps, then to Australia, he’s emerged with a spirit and kindness that is truly admirable.

“I worked with the United Nations back home supporting displaced families with food, housing and tents,” Ruben said.

“The UN employed me to build concrete foundations, and housing, running a crew of 20 workers helping the South Sudanese refugees.

“All the Somalian, Ugandan, Congolese, Ethiopian and Eritrean became refugees and lived in Kenya.”

He says he loves Alice Springs’ life and that his main aim now is to better his English through his AMEP studies to progress up the ladder in employment into a career in the disability care sector.

“I need to learn, I benefit from practising my reading, writing, talking and listening at AMEP”

“I like using the computers at STEPS and learning about the jobs in Alice Springs.

“I’m getting help in class to help improve my English so I can study for a new career,” Ruben said.

When looking for work previously he was faced with severe language barriers until he discovered the assistance available to him and his wife Mary through their AMEP classes.

Ruben believes it’s important for migrants and refugees new to Australia to go to English classes.

“It’s very important to come to class, if not, you’d become lazy and won’t get a job,” he said.

Ruben is a very busy man that spends long days studying and nights working until late into the evening, but he says he always makes time for a few hobbies too.

“I come to AMEP class at 9am to 2.30pm, then work from 3pm until 11pm as a crew member at Coles.

“When I finish at 11pm, I go home and watch TV to relax and when I finish watching TV, I go to sleep.

“I like to watch TV and listen to the news, I like watching football, I support Manchester United and Juventus, and I like running very much,” he said.

His advice to other migrants new to the area is to make use of the services available such as joining the local library to borrow books and use the computers.

“It’s very quiet there and good for study and learning.

“Alice Springs’ life is a very good life, people are free and safe.

To find out more about free English classes in Alice Springs and Darwin go to www.stepsamep.com.au or call 08 8950 7600 (Alice Springs) or 1300 585 868 (Darwin).

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.