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Support the P.A.R.T.Y. Program

Help reduce trauma and injury among young people, and empower the next generation to make safer choices.
Paramedics
Beneficiary Royal North Shore Hospital
Active projects at facility 23 Projects
View Facility
50%
Our goal $300,000
Raised $150,190
To go $149,810

Project Overview

The P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) Program is an evidence-based trauma prevention initiative delivered by Royal North Shore Hospital and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.

It provides young people aged 15–25 with a confronting and immersive experience that follows the real-life journey of a trauma patient, from emergency admission through surgery, intensive care and rehabilitation. This approach has been proven to reduce high-risk behaviours in young people by highlighting real-life impacts in a controlled, supportive environment.

Due to increasing demand, the program is now delivered through both its established in-hospital model and a new in-school model, significantly expanding its reach and accessibility.

Support the P.A.R.T.Y. Program and help us empower young people to make safer choices, save lives, and build a safer community. By contributing today, you ensure the continuation of this vital, life-saving education program and prevent future tragedies.

Paramedics
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

Why Support the P.A.R.T.Y. Program?

The P.A.R.T.Y. Program is a not-for-profit education initiative powered by dedicated clinical staff, volunteers, and supporters. This program changes young people’s behaviour by empowering them with knowledge to reduce risks.

Your support can help equip young people with the knowledge and tools to navigate peer pressure, reduce risk-taking behaviours, and save lives.

Expanding delivery across hospitals, schools and regional communities will ensure more young people have access to life-saving trauma prevention education.

Students who participate in the P.A.R.T.Y. Program leave knowing better and doing better. Join us in empowering youth to make informed, responsible choices, creating a safer community for all.

Donate to the P.A.R.T.Y. Program

Preventing injuries in young adults: key risks and statistics

Young drivers are 15 to 33 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash

due to inexperience, risk-taking behaviour, and distractions.

Poisoning is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions

for young people aged 15-24, largely due to alcohol and recreational drug use.

Accidental injuries, including falls, physical altercations, and self-harm

significantly impact young adults' health and well-being, highlighting the need for preventive education.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among young people aged 16–24 in NSW, accounting for 88% of fatalities. Each year, more than 200,000 young Australians are admitted to emergency departments due to preventable trauma.

The leading contributors include land transport accidents (60%), accidental poisoning (20%) and drowning (8%), with research indicating that up to 90% of these injuries are preventable.

Young drivers aged 16–24 are at significantly higher risk on the roads, being far more likely to be involved in serious or fatal crashes due to inexperience, risk-taking behaviour and distraction.

Accidental poisoning and other risk-related injuries remain a major concern, particularly linked to alcohol and drug misuse, alongside other trauma such as falls, physical altercations and self-harm.

These risks are compounded by peer pressure, impulsive decision-making and limited awareness of long-term consequences, reinforcing the need for early, evidence-based intervention.

The devastating impact of these injuries on health, relationships and future wellbeing highlights the importance of programs like P.A.R.T.Y., which equip young people with the knowledge to make safer choices.

PARTY Program
Message of thanks

"After seeing student engagement and benefit, I cannot advocate for this program more highly.

In the weeks following the program, I can confidently say that the difficult conversations raised by the P.A.R.T.Y. Program are happening in the year group and students are very grateful for the opportunity to have attended. As we know, the tragedies facing young people due to risk taking do not discriminate. It is my wish that as many students get to continue to benefit from this exceptional learning opportunity with very real impact."

- Year 10 Adviser, Pittwater High School

Message of thanks

"As a teacher, I deeply appreciate that this program is made available to our students free of charge.

Many of our at-risk students wouldn’t normally have access to an experience like this, so it plays a vital role. While not all can attend, the impact spreads – those who do gain life-saving knowledge and learn how to reduce the risk for themselves and their friends."

- Teacher, Pittwater High School

The P.A.R.T.Y. Program : Educating youth globally

P.A.R.T.Y. Program classroom
Program and learning opportunities

Students hear directly from trauma clinicians, emergency services and survivors, gaining insight into how quickly a single decision can have lifelong consequences.

The P.A.R.T.Y. Program is a one-day program which allows students to see first-hand the consequences of risk-taking behaviours in everyday life.

Participants hear engaging stories and facts, interacting with people including:

  • An injury survivor who shares their story about what it is like to have a severe life changing disability

  • Police who talk about the legal consequences of risky behaviours

  • Trauma staff who discuss how injuries truly affect the human body and the long-term impacts, highlighting how injuries can impact a person’s life and limit their ability to fulfil their potential

  • Other volunteers who explain the ripple effect on parents, friends and the broader community

The new in-school program includes adapted ICU simulations, risk assessment and minimisation strategies, modules on alcohol, drugs and vaping, and practical skills such as recovery position and Stop the Bleed basics.

Interactive elements such as polls, quizzes and reflection tasks are used to reinforce learning and engagement.

Paramedics doing a simulation
Program history, delivery, implementation and reach

The in-hospital program continues to run regularly at Royal North Shore Hospital and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital – the first hospitals in New South Wales to implement the program – providing a highly immersive experience.

The P.A.R.T.Y. Program was first established in Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, Canada in 1986 and has been successfully implemented by staff at more than 100 sites around the world.

A condensed in-school model is currently being rolled out, allowing the program to be delivered directly to schools and reach more students.

Sessions can be delivered to groups of up to 200 students at a time, reducing barriers such as travel and scheduling constraints.

P.A.R.T.Y. Bedside to School-wide & Regional Outreach

Supported by philanthropic funding, the P.A.R.T.Y. Bedside to School-wide program extends delivery beyond the hospital setting, bringing trauma prevention education directly into schools.

This mobile format enables multiple sessions per week and significantly increases the number of young people who can access the program.

The program is also expanding its reach into regional and rural NSW through initiatives such as the Dare to Be Aware program.

This work strengthens partnerships with regional trauma services and improves access to injury prevention education for young people outside metropolitan areas.

Impact

Evaluations show a 31% reduction in not wearing seatbelts and a 27% reduction in behaviours linked to spinal cord and head injuries.

Combining in-hospital and in-school delivery is expected to further strengthen long-term behaviour change and extend the program’s life-saving impact.

Help expand this life-saving program and protect more young Australians from preventable injury by supporting the P.A.R.T.Y. Program.

Support the P.A.R.T.Y. Program

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