Welcome to another installment of Youth Rap for 2010. Youth Rap continues to offer the community an insight and update into the entire goings-on relating to youth and young people.
YOUTH WEEK 2010 - NSW Local Government Award
Earlier last month Youth Council members Marcus Weatherall and Mark Winch, Youth Development Officer George McCormick and Mayor Ian Woodcock travelled to Sydney for the 2010 NSW Local Government Awards.
The Youth Development Team was selected in the top three finalists in the category for the best ongoing commitment to Youth Week 2010. They were picked from more than 130 councils across NSW.
The awards evening, staged at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, was exceptional and, although they didn’t take out the major award, the representatives of the Youth Development Team were acknowledged for the high quality of the Youth Week programs they have maintained during the past four years.
On the journey to Sydney for the awards evening, the Youth Council and Youth Development Team representatives toured the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, gave a presentation on their communities at the Gosford City Youth Interagency gathering, attended the Gosford City Youth Council meeting, visited the Musicians Making a Difference Studios in Gosford and spent several hours at the Redfern Community/Youth Centre.
The team is committed to a bigger and better Youth Week 2011.
“ENGAGE & ENCOURAGE” Live your dreams - 2010 Health Outback Trek
The Rural High School Visit (RHSV) program is a National Rural Health Students Network (NRHSN) initiative run nationally by rural health clubs in each state and territory.
Clubs visit country high schools throughout their state and/or territory to promote health careers to high school students.
Research indicates that students from country towns are more likely to return to a rural setting to practice after graduating.
This initiative will target students, their families, teachers, career advisors and the community. Students are provided with the opportunity to get first-hand knowledge about how to become, and what it is like working as, a health professional and the contribution they could make to their own community’s future health needs.
It’s also a great way for high school students to gain information about what it’s like to study at university, including living away from home and living on campus.
The purpose of this program is:
o To present, promote and encourage youth and young people from remote communities to follow their dreams of becoming a health professional.
o To encourage young people to aim for the highest outcomes regarding education and futures, maximise young peoples’ potential to make a difference in their communities.
o To show young people that these dreams are achievable.
o To establish working, meaningful relationships between city-based health students, universities, local service providers and youth from our remote communities
o To build a sustainable project to encourage youth from our remote areas to pursue career paths relating to health, including creating networking opportunities with local health service providers
o Offer city students an insight into remote communities in a bid to increase the chances that following their completion of study, they may wish to relocate to our communities to establish a practice in remote areas, which are in desperate need of such practitioners
Partners in this initiative include RHUUWS, Walgett Shire Council, Lightning Ridge Central School, Walgett Community College, Collarenabri Central School, Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and the Outback Division of General Practice.
At this stage, we are hopeful that more supporters will come on board.
YOUTH CENTRES
A substantial increase in attendance numbers at youth centres across the shire over the last few months has seen our youth centre workers on the go.
All three youth centres throughout the shire recently purchased new resources including arts and crafts and sporting equipment and Wii consoles and games.
The Lightning Ridge Youth Development Team has acted in partnership with community groups and organisations to host several events and initiatives including NAIDOC community celebrations.
The Walgett Youth Centre has recently experienced an increase in older teens attending the centre during the week. They are offering cooking and sporting activities and are recording consistent attendance numbers.
Meanwhile the Collarenebri Youth Centre is recording 30 to 40 kids utilising the service every day. Young people have been engaging in a wide range of activities and sporting programs.
Youth centres across the shire all offer After School Care programs from 3.30pm - 6.30pm at Walgett and 3pm-6pm at Lightning Ridge and Collarenabri.
Youth centres in all communities will also be continuing to pilot the Friday Night “Youth Engagement Initiative” with centres operational from 4pm-7pm (five-12 year olds) and 7pm-10pm, targeting 12 year olds and above.
VACATION CARE SERVICES - June/July
The Walgett Shire Youth Development Team Vacation Care Services operated for a full two-week period from July 4-16 in Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Grawin and Collarenebri.
Exceptional numbers of youth and young people attended the programs implemented throughout the shire.
Events and programs on offer to young people included cooking, dance parties, arts and crafts and sporting activities. The Blue Reelers Movie Nights proved popular again at all centres.
We wish to acknowledge and thank all the service providers, organisations and agencies that supported the two-week program.
Vacation care will operate this September/October school holidays at all four sites.
Contact Youth Development Team Leaders for more information:
Lightning Ridge - Kylie Smith on 68291511, Collarenabri - Janet Mason on 0429236619, Walgett - Trish Weatherall on 68291245 and Grawin - Marilyn Sharkey on 0428341834.
YOUTH PARLIAMENT 2010
Congratulations to Youth Council members Danielle Rennie and Brent Richards for their participation in the NSW Youth Parliament Program. Both have excelled and represented our shire with distinction. We look forward to supporting this program again next year.
YOUTH COUNCIL
Youth Council meeting will take place in the coming weeks - the date is yet to be confirmed.
The Youth Development Officer is in consultation with schools and is currently attempting to identify the most suitable time with youth members.
The venue will be Lightning Ridge.
All service providers are encouraged to attend. Your youth council executive and contacts in each community are Mark Winch - Lightning Ridge, Marcus Weatherall - Walgett and Michael Graham - Collarenebri.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND
PROGRAMS
National Child Protection Week Events: September 8 at Walgett, September 9 at Collarenabri and September 10 at the Ridge.
National Children’s Week Event: September 24 - the Ridge’s Big Day Out, September 15 - at Gray Park in Walgett.
Engage & Encourage Health Outback Trek 2010 - September 20 - 23 all centres.
Vacation Care Programs: September 27 - October 8 all centres from 9am - 2pm unless otherwise advised.
Drumming Workshops: October 6 - 8 all centres.
Dance Parties: September 29 - 31 all centres.
Youth Council meeting: TBA.
NSW Regional Community Awards: October 31.
For more information please contact the Youth Development Officer on 0439024902 or gmccormick@walgett.nsw.gov.au
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