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Program explores young people’s place in the community
A pilot program that explores young people’s place in their community is being run by Indigo Shire Council in July.
12 June 2009
The Council’s Youth Development Officer Bev Hoffmann said the program was aimed at drawing out “young peoples’ innate skills” in communication, imagination, creativity and problem solving and developing them in a series of role plays with other members of the community.
The program will be run in Rutherglen and Beechworth initially, and Chiltern and Yackandandah later in the year.
“This program is unique because it involves working with young people from their perspective, rather than imposing a program or ideas on them from above,” Ms Hoffmann said.
“The program, the Learning Partnerships project, has been run successfully in Melbourne in other settings and this is the first time it has been offered in a Local Government setting.”
Ms Hoffmann said the Indigo program would focus on youth spaces, including youth centres, how young people use that space and how this is regarded by the community.
“Participants will gather for a day of drama-based problem solving around common community situations. The will have to discuss all aspects of the issue, work out solutions and ‘rehearse’ them, and then make adjustments to their solutions according to appropriate feedback,” she said.
Ms Hoffmann said the program had been developed by Helen Cahill, Deputy Director of the Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne.
“Helen’s research shows that young people who have been through this program come to recognise and value the ways they can make a contribution to others and their community,” she said.
“This is because the model allows them to develop their own expertise, and be the voice of their generation, in finding answers.
“They find the solutions – the solutions are not handed down to them from others. And this is what makes a powerful difference to young people and how they see their place in the community. Learning Partnerships gives young people the skills to contribute to issues that affect them and the community they live in.”
Members of the community will be invited to take part in the program, which will involve two workshops in the school holidays on Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, from 11am to 4pm. The first workshop will be in Rutherglen at the Memorial Hall and the second at the Beechworth Youth Centre in Harper Avenue.
END
More information:
Bev Hoffmann
03-5728 1133
0418 163 699
The Council’s Youth Development Officer Bev Hoffmann said the program was aimed at drawing out “young peoples’ innate skills” in communication, imagination, creativity and problem solving and developing them in a series of role plays with other members of the community.
The program will be run in Rutherglen and Beechworth initially, and Chiltern and Yackandandah later in the year.
“This program is unique because it involves working with young people from their perspective, rather than imposing a program or ideas on them from above,” Ms Hoffmann said.
“The program, the Learning Partnerships project, has been run successfully in Melbourne in other settings and this is the first time it has been offered in a Local Government setting.”
Ms Hoffmann said the Indigo program would focus on youth spaces, including youth centres, how young people use that space and how this is regarded by the community.
“Participants will gather for a day of drama-based problem solving around common community situations. The will have to discuss all aspects of the issue, work out solutions and ‘rehearse’ them, and then make adjustments to their solutions according to appropriate feedback,” she said.
Ms Hoffmann said the program had been developed by Helen Cahill, Deputy Director of the Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne.
“Helen’s research shows that young people who have been through this program come to recognise and value the ways they can make a contribution to others and their community,” she said.
“This is because the model allows them to develop their own expertise, and be the voice of their generation, in finding answers.
“They find the solutions – the solutions are not handed down to them from others. And this is what makes a powerful difference to young people and how they see their place in the community. Learning Partnerships gives young people the skills to contribute to issues that affect them and the community they live in.”
Members of the community will be invited to take part in the program, which will involve two workshops in the school holidays on Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, from 11am to 4pm. The first workshop will be in Rutherglen at the Memorial Hall and the second at the Beechworth Youth Centre in Harper Avenue.
END
More information:
Bev Hoffmann
03-5728 1133
0418 163 699
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