E-News 23

Welcome to Youth Workers' E-News, Issue 23, May 2008

What's New on the Site?
New Reports
New to the calendar
Give Feedback

What's new:

  • The Annual Scholarship Program for Australian School Students aims to recognise and reward achievement and dedication by teachers, support staff and school students. the program offers two scholarships, the Annual Professional Development Scholarship and the Annual Student Achievement Scholarship. Both are worth $2000 to be used towards education expenses. Application Packs and further details can be obtained by calling School Social Clubs on 1300 792 457.

  • Shoot Nations is a free global online photographic competition, which is open to everyone aged 11-24 from anywhere in the world who is interested in voicing their opinion. Last year the competition received over 1500 entries from 85 countries, and over 100,000 web hits. Over 4500 people attended exhibitions of Shoot Nations photographs on 4 different continents. to find out more, go to www.shootnations.org 

  • Australian Youth Forum. The Federal Government is keen to hear the views of young people from across Australia. To find out more go to www.thesource.gov.au/involve/ayf.asp where you can find out all about the Australian Youth Forum. 

  • Headspace is Australia's National Youth mental Health Foundation. They provide information for young people who may be experiencing mental health and/or drug and alcohol related issues. www.headspace.org.au

  • Youth Off The Streets Scholarships 2008 are now available. Nominations are now being taken from young people aged between 14 and 21 years with a clear need for financial assistance. Nominations close on 9 May. www.youthoffthestreets.com.au/scholarship/index.html  

  • Creating Connections: Student to Student is a resource that is being trialled in some NSW public schools. It covers team building, well-being, strategies to improve school spirit and mental health at school. It is designed for use by student leaders with other students. Students and teachers can download the resource from the DET Intranet site. www.schools.nsw.edu.au/studentsupport/studleadsrc/resourcestaff/index.php 

  • Free financial workshops for secondary students are being offered in 2008. The national Startsmart workshops offer practical programs to improve young Australians' financial literacy skills. For further information please contact Heather MacDonald on 07 4034 3979 or visit www.educationpartnerships.com.au. 

  • Australian apprentices and their employers will be able to access additional assistance worth thousands of dollars under an extension of the Commonwealth Trade Learning Scholarships through the Employer Incentives program and the Living Away from Home Allowance. The new measures began on 1 January 2008. Follow visit www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/employer/incentives.asp#Scholarships for more information on the assistance available. 

  • CHD Partners has produced a series of Young People and Crime Fact Sheets including information on the role of the youth sector in crime prevention. The fact sheets are available at www.chdpartners.com.au/resources/factsheets.asp  

  • Do you use arts and cultural activities and/or community cultural development practices in your work? Then Community Cultural Development NSW (CCDNSW) invites you to make contact! To catch the latest on jobs, projects, events, opportunities and funding sources, or to spread your news across the NSW sector, join our weekly e-bulletin ROUND-UP by emailing info@ccdnsw.org with 'GO' in the subject line. CCDNSW is also keen to hear your views on issues, trends, or needs and to receive your enquiries about the sector at any time on info@ccdnsw.org. For more information about us please visit the CCDNSW website www.ccdnsw.org

  • Time We Started Talking is a guide to help young people organise a Youth Mental Health Forum to raise awareness about mental health issues. Download the Guide (PDF 603KB) and get people along to your forum with the Poster (PDF 379KB). 


Reports:

  • Current Generation Youth Programs: What Works, What Doesn't and at What Cost - a report from the USA published in 2008 - http://rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2008/RAND_OP215.pdf (PDF 315KB)

  • The 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows data on usage of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs by Australians - www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10579 

  • Disconnected Youth, a report from the U.S.A talks about how to address some issues faced by local programs that reconnect youth to education and employment - http://gao.gov/new.items/d08313.pdf (PDF 1.48M) 

  • 2008 Country Matters - Social Atlas of Rural and Regional Australia. Produced by the Bureau of Rural Sciences, this is an atlas of social and economic conditions, including young people and their participation in education and in work. www.affashop.gov.au/product.asp?prodid=13896 

  • The Australia's Homeless Youth report was released by the National Youth Commission on 8 April 2008. It is a 400 page inquiry that calls for more funding to tackle the worsening problem of youth homelessness. www.nyc.net.au/

Youth workers' calendar

Conferences, workshops, funding opportunities and training courses around NSW. Opportunities in June and July include:

  • Fringe Voices - 19th Annual RYDON Youth Worker Conference - 2-3 June, Newcastle
    The annual RYDON conference aims to be a place for innovative, cutting edge and thought provoking discussion, skill building, sharing of ideas, debate and inspiration for youth workers and people who work with young people. For more information or to obtain an EOI form please contact Jim Campbell, james.campbell@portstephens.nsw.gov.au, (02) 4984 5298/4980 0255, www.rydon.org.au    . 

  • Whichway Music Industry Workshops - late June/early July
    MusicNSW and Whichway will be running a four day music industry and songwriting workshop and information sessions late June or early July to be held at the Redfern Community Centre. The workshops are especially aimed at NSW Indigenous contemporary music artists. Hip Hop, Country, Rock, Pop, R&B, Electronica, Dance, Singer songwriter, folk if your music is in any contemporary music genre this workshop is for you. See www.musicnsw.com     for more information.

  • 5th Leaving Care and Aftercare training workshop - 24 June, Macarthur
    This workshop offers an experiential guide for workers to assist young people, who have been in out of home care, to leave care in a planned way. Recently there has been a strong focus on transitions to independent living and the issues facing care leavers. For more information visit www.ifp.nsw.edu.au     or email info@ifp.nsw.edu.au or call (02) 8830 0755.

  • A Survival Guide for Youth Workers - 30-31 July, Parramatta
    2 day training program. Have you been employed as a youth worker for less than 6 months or want to update your skills? Then this is the course for you! For more information visit the YAPA website at www.yapa.org.au/yapa/events/survival.php     or contact Joanne Bennett on ext. 3, (02) 9319 1100 or info@yapa.org.au.

 Feedback

  • How can we make the youth workers' resources on Youth.NSW more useful to you? Please email us your thoughts and suggestions.