Aboriginal Affairs Minister Natalie Hutchins visited Gateway Health to announce the Burraja Koori Youth and Young People Project Journeys initiative.

The funding was part of a $2.2 million push to increase community safety and address the root causes of crime so youths could stay out of the justice system.

But the organisations involved were focused on who young people could become with guidance from elders.

Aboriginal community development broker Darren Moffitt said the money would be used to employ a cultural co-ordinator working out of Gateway Health.

Specific programs will be developed in the coming months, but would involve using elders to connect youths with their heritage.

Youth organisations, police and health groups could then refer teenagers to the program.

“Increasingly people are seeing now that when you connect with culture in the Aboriginal community, it has good outcomes,” Mr Moffitt said.

Ms Hutchins said “self-determination” should be at the heart of Aboriginal policies.

“I’ve seen and heard from Aboriginal leaders that they feel there are some kids, in particular teenagers, who feel a bit disconnected and these sort of programs give them a way back to reconnect with community,” she said.

“This (Wodonga) project in particular showed the evidence of genuine partnerships in the community.

“It also demonstrated the evidence there were a lot of people behind this in the Aboriginal community.”

Ms Hutchins praised the leadership of the Burraja executive group.

“This will no doubt help change young people’s lives in Wodonga,” she said.

Albury’s Brendan Kennedy said he did not always have the chance to learn about his culture from Aboriginal elders as a child, so he was excited for the opportunity to share his knowledge.

“It can give them something to aim for in life, identity is a good thing,” he said.