Wairarapa teenagers will be the first to take part in a leadership camp at Camp Kaitoke next week, as part of the new YMCA Youth for Youth programme.
Wairarapa co-ordinator Dawn Clare said the idea of the programme was to get 12 to 18-year-olds thinking about ways to be part of the community.
"They're ideally things they can all be involved in ... and obviously something that's beneficial to the community."
This could be from chopping wood for the elderly to holding a Christmas concert for the whole community.
The majority of the students came from Kuranui College and Makoura College, Ms Clark said.
Another leadership programme was also being run alongside the camp which youth could also choose to be involved with.
The programme has been funded through the Ministry of Youth Developments Active Citizens Initiative, and will run until June next year.
The three-day camp was one of the first projects established by the initiative and will start with a powhiri at Camp Kaitoke next Tuesday.