NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK 2003 REPORT Prepared by GPO Box 169 Hobart Tasmania 7001 Telephone: 03 6233 7329 Facsimile: 03 6233 7695 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.youthaffairs.tas.gov.au Front Cover Photo: Tasmanian Winner of the SnapIT competition ‘The Macs’ with ‘The World at my Feet’ Table of Contents Introduction....................................................................................................2 Background.....................................................................................................2 National Report...............................................................................................4 Official Participants .........................................................................................4 Official Participants .........................................................................................5 NYW Events ..................................................................................................12 Participation in Events ...................................................................................13 Feedback from Young People .........................................................................15 Funding & Support.........................................................................................16 Grants Programs ...........................................................................................16 Media Coverage & Promotional Resources.......................................................18 NYW Media Coverage.....................................................................................19 NYW Outcomes .............................................................................................19 Youth Issues.................................................................................................23 Youth Issues.................................................................................................24 National Youth Week 2004.............................................................................27 Selection of NYW Press Clippings ...................................................................28 1 of 34 Introduction Australia’s third National Youth Week (NYW) Participants identified a range of positive was held from 5–13 April 2003. The Office of outcomes as a result of the Week. These Youth Affairs (OYA) is pleased to present the outcomes were mainly targeted at young Tasmanian National Youth Week 2003 Report. people but also acknowledged that NYW had a positive impact on the community members Congratulations must go to who observed or participated in activities. A National all the young people across number of the outcomes have been Youth Week the State as well as others documented in reports from specific events is an annual feature on who organised, facilitated and indicate that issues, which have been Australia’s and participated in this identified, will be progressed after NYW 2003. youth successful event. Our thanks calendar also go to the many Once again, from the feedback received, with events, organisations that everyone is looking forward to the continuation activities and competitions contributed in various ways of NYW in 2004 and many are already making for young to the success of the Week in plans. people aged their areas. 12–25 held National Youth Week is about celebrating in every This year’s official theme was and recognising the value of all young Australian What’s it to you? and Australians to their communities. It’s time State and appeared on posters and to join together and be part of the single Territory. largest celebration event for young other promotional material, Australians. which was distributed throughout communities around the country. Many organisations used Background the theme in their events as a focus for On 23 April 1999 Commonwealth, State and activities. Territory Youth Ministers agreed to hold Australia’s first National Youth Week from NYW is a call to action for young people to 2–8 April 2000. This event was so successful it make the most of their Week. It is a chance to was agreed that it be held as an ongoing event get involved and, more importantly, have fun with a national focus. 2003 is the fourth regardless of their resources, skills or abilities. National Youth Week that Tasmania has celebrated. NYW gives young people the opportunity to: share their ideas; organise and attend live events; National Planning Group have a voice on issues of concern to them; The Youth Bureau in the Commonwealth showcase their talents; Department of Family and Community Services take part in competitions; (FaCS) coordinates NYW in collaboration with express their individuality and diversity; and the departments responsible for youth affairs celebrate their contribution to the in all States and Territories. A National community. Planning Group (NPG) is formed each year which includes a youth representative from A key feature of the Week was the focus on each State and Territory, representatives from young people being involved in the planning FaCS Youth Bureau, and representatives from and implementation of events. This was all youth affairs offices around the country. realised in municipalities across Tasmania The NPG met a number of times and oversaw where young people’s participation numbers arrangements for coordinating and promoting were high. Young people were able to advise NYW 2003 at a national level. organisations on the types of activities they would like in their area for NYW and see these Anita Simeoni, Senior Project Coordinator, ideas come to fruition, in most cases playing a from the Office of Youth Affairs was the large part in the organisation of events. Tasmanian representative on the NPG and Among the successful outcomes of the Week Laura Russell, from the Tasmanian Youth were the management skills young people Consultative Committee (TYCC) was the acquired through planning and implementing Tasmanian youth representative on the NPG. activities. 2 of 34 Tasmanian NYW Steering OYA also sought other non-funded official Tasmanian NYW Steering participants to participate. Information about Committee NYW with expressions of interest was sent to At a state level, OYA is responsible for the all councils, schools and colleges, Online coordination and delivery of NYW in Tasmania. Access Centres, libraries, state government The Tasmanian National Youth Week Steering departments, TYCC and youth service Committee is convened every year. This providers on the OYA database. Once group, comprising 12 members in 2003, has organisations advised OYA they wanted to membership from key stakeholder groups to conduct an event and met the guidelines facilitate the coordination process. below they became official participants and Membership of the Steering Committee for could access promotional opportunities. 2003 included: OYA, four members from TYCC, the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT), All the Tasmanian official participants were Northern Youth Coordinating Committee encouraged to follow the Guiding Principles for (NYCC), North West Action for Youth (NWAY), Participation in National Youth Week 2003, Youth Action Priorities (YAP), FaCS State Youth which indicated that proposed activities should Office and a media consultant from the address the NYW theme and the following Department of Education. principles: consult widely before events; locate activities to ensure as easy access as The Tasmanian NYW Steering Committee is representative of youth service providers and possible; young people and its role is to: cater for young people who are not oversee the coordination of NYW on a state level comfortable speaking in front of other young provide advice on issues relating to NYW state people in panels or forums; and regional initiatives talk to young people and other organisations oversee the OYA budget for state and local in your community; government NYW initiatives integrate mentoring as part of NYW; consider and provide advice on marketing, use neutral environments which make all publicity and sponsorship young people feel comfortable; assess and approve grants funding submissions make sure your event is free of alcohol and endorse NYW and promote NYW events, drugs; encouraging participation at all levels in NYW notify participants of outcomes of issue- activities at a regional and organisation level raising activities; facilitate the identification by young people of think about scheduling your event in evening youth issues and ensure that mechanisms are in timeslots; place to respond to these make participation costs reasonable; and ensure your activity is covered by public The Steering Committee met on two occasions liability insurance. in a central location and conducted four teleconferences. The last Steering Committee Evaluation forms were sent to all official meeting involved evaluating the Week in participants, so they could report on their Tasmania and providing advice on how to events, participation, processes and the improve NYW for 2004. promotion of the Week. A form specifically for young people to provide comment was also sent to official participants to give out to What Happened This Year young people. The information received from OYA provided funding through a number of all these evaluations, forms the basis of this grants programs, to: local councils across the report. State, non-government organisations and Some of the information obtained from the TYCC. The grants enabled these organisations above groups included concerns