LOCAL LIFE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Hills Youth Passport Quest
by Lorna Gordon
A new initiative is helping young people across The Hills Shire get out, get involved and discover everything their community has to offer. The Hills Youth Passport Quest, developed by young people for young people, is designed to encourage young people to see what the local community has to offer by encouraging them to explore and build their own skills for fun and to gain valuable life skills..
The idea came about during a discussion at a meeting of the Hills Youth Army, which was then taken on by Rihanna( Ri) Soundranayagam, who is one of the two Hills Youth Ambassadors for 2025 / 26. Ri has a strong passion for advocating for young people and has volunteered in the Hills Youth Army for several years. Ri has seen firsthand how being involved in the community can open doors, build confidence and create meaningful connections.
“ I absolutely love volunteering,” she said.“ It opened my eyes to so many opportunities and allowed me to meet people and help others in the Hills.”
During monthly Youth Army meetings, the team discussed ways to motivate their peers to get more with local activities, especially during school holidays. After plenty of discussions about how to manage the project, including ideas around using social media, but the social media ban would cut out the younger people they hoped to get on board, and printed passports which they decided was too a high a cost for the environment and in dollars, the group settled on a digital format that was more accessible, affordable and environmentally friendly.
The result is the Hills Youth Passport Quest, a digital‘ choose your own adventure’ experience filled with quests for people aged 15 to 24. Quests include visiting places such as Bella Vista Farm, Castle Hill or Rouse Hill Library, attending workshops or trying activities like résumé writing sessions or painting classes.
Each completed quest earns participants one point. The more points collected, the higher the prize tier they qualify to go into a draw for, with prizes including AirPods, Bluetooth speakers and more. To complete a quest, participants simply attend the activity or visit the location and upload a photo as proof.
The program encourages young people to get involved in what the Hills has to offer, while keeping things fun and flexible. Participants can choose the quests that interest them most and complete them at their own pace.
The Hills Youth Passport Quest was developed collaboratively by the Hills Youth Army, Council staff and Youth Ambassadors Ri and Advika Kapoor, with strong input from young people across
Ri( right) with Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne( left) at the launch of the Youth Passport Quest.
the Shire. Mayor Dr Michelle Byrnes had this to say about the program.
“ The Youth Passport is a wonderful initiative from our Hills Youth Ambassador program that encourages young people to explore their Shire and become engaged in their community.
It provides our young people with the opportunity to try something new, while also connecting with other young people and Council-run events and services.”
Registration is available through Council’ s website, go to www. thehills. nsw. gov. au. and search Youth Passport Quest. Participants under 18 will need parental consent before attending activities. The program runs until Monday, 1 June 2026, giving young people plenty of time to explore, learn and connect with their community in new ways.
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8 ISSUE 128 // FEBRUARY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT