Chutzpah Bendigo
Chutzpah Bendigo was Chutzpah Inc.'s first site, launched on March 17 2005 in alliance with St Lukes Anglicare Bendigo. Chutzpah Bendigo was established to facilitate entrepreneurial skilling in marginalised youth (Chutzpaniks).
Chutzpah Bendigo Champion
John Bonnice is Chutzpah Bendigo's champion. Without John's vision, tenacity, credibility, commitment to youth empowerment and preparedness to go the extra five hundred miles, Chutzpah Inc. would never have been born, nor exist today.
Chutzpah Bendigo Facilitator
Kylie Martens launched Chutzpah Bendigo with a group of six young Chutzpaniks. Like John, Kylie is an extraordinary and talented visionary with an unswerving faith in the goodness and potential of humankind.
It takes an exceptional person with a flexible pedagogy to unleash dormant entrepreneurial talent in marginalised young people. Kylie has an evidence-base of graduating dozens of Chutzpaniks.
The Chutzpaniks
Bendigo Chutzpaniks have come from all walks of life. Some have spent a lifetime in foster care, some have found that school and employers don't recognise and optimise their talents and some have been driven to crossing onto the wrong side of the law through searching for a way to survive. However, each graduate Chutzpanik has embraced the Chutzpah methodology to conceptualise and piloted a new venture. Some are still growing their business, some have since gained employment and traineeships and others have returned to education and training.
Most importantly each and every Chutzpanik become an inspiration for youth and adults alike. Many are now community and peer-role models, some through mentoring other Chutzpaniks and others by establishing a creative youth presence of social and economic contribution to their local community.
Some of the enterprises they have launched can be seen in the following page:
Some past event information related to Chutzpah Bendigo can be seen in the following pages:
