Early Years
Riley was born in Echuca, Victoria in 1954 and grew up on a dairy farm in the district. In 1973 he graduated from a school run by the Salesians. He was inspired by the movie Boys Town and went on to train as a teacher. He has worked as a teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential care worker and principal of the charity Boy’s Town. In 1982 he was ordained a priest at Oakleigh, Victoria.
Riley is the founder and CEO of Youth Off The Streets and has worked with disadvantaged youth for more than 35 years in a variety of roles including teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential carer and principal. He officially founded Youth Off The Streets in 1991.
As CEO of Youth Off The Streets, Riley oversees the operation of over 25 programs which employ over 180 staff and involve more than 250 volunteers. He has implemented innovative behaviour modification strategies to help young people deal with a history of trauma, abuse and neglect. Many of these strategies have been adopted by schools across Australia and by government agencies. Riley believes there is no such thing as a “child born bad”, but acknowledges that there are bad environments, circumstances and families that impact negatively on our young. “We must have the courage to demand greatness from our youth.”
Qualifications • Diploma of Teaching (3 years trained) Australian Catholic University, Chadstone, Victoria, 1975 • Secondary Teachers Certificate of Registration No. 37378, 1975 • Primary Teachers Registration Board, 1976 • Bachelor of Theology, Melbourne College of Divinity, Clayton, Victoria, 1982 • Bachelor of Arts (major Sociology and English) Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 1984 • Diploma of Abuse and Trauma Counselling, Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors, Queensland, 1996 • Diploma of Psychology, Applied School of Psychology, Sydney, 1997 • Diploma of Aboriginal Studies, TAFE NSW OTEN, 2010 • Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs, TAFE NSW OTEN, 2010 • Honorary Doctorate of Letters, University of Western Sydney. “This award is in recognition of your outstanding humanitarian service to the community, especially youth,” 2010 • Masters of Special Education, University of Southern Queensland, 2010.
Read more about this topic: Chris Riley (priest)
Famous quotes related to early years:
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)