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Investing In Our Youth has several current projects and activities
underway. These include:
The Active Rural
Communities program: Managed in partnership with the Western
Australian Country Health Service, and funded by the Department of
Health and Ageing's Healthy Active Australia Community
and Schools Grant program, this project was able to encourage
children and young people to increase their involvement in physical
activity throughout the ten rural shires in the South West
Region.
The Linking Education and Families
program was developed by Fiona Farren and funded in six
Bunbury Primary Schools in 2007 by the National Community
Crime Prevention Program and in the same six schools by
Lotterywest in 2008 and in Harvey Primary School in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, the LEAF steering group continues to advocate on behalf of
the program and current aims include the development of a LEAF
training package.
Participating schools offer family visits to newly enrolled
kindergarten students and make facilities available for Play Cafes
for families with children aged 0-4.
To view a program evaluation report, click on the following
links Leaf Program
Evaluation and Leaf Evaluation 2008.
The program received positive promotion in the 2009 report
to parliament by the WA Education and Health Standing
Committee.
Fiona Farren and Carmen Gregg presented on the LEAF program at
the ARACY conference in Melbourne in
2009.
The LEAF program has recently been recognised through three
awards: Fiona Farren is a 2009 state recipient of the National
Excellence in Teaching Awards; Investing In Our Youth and the
Department of Education won the Children's Week 2009 Awards of
Recognition in the category of 'Department for Communities
Outstanding Children and Family Service or Project (Regional
Award); and, Fiona Farren won the Children's Week 2009 Awards of
Recognition in the category of 'Children's Week Award of Recogntion
(Adult)'.
In further developments around the LEAF program we are please to
report that the LEAF steering committee have been able to access
funding for a LEAF training package through the 2010 Royalties for
Regions scheme.
Youth Survey: Young
people throughout the SW have been surveyed for their opinion on
early help seeking and effective prevention and intervention
approaches to mental health and substance use issues. This
project was funded by the Office of Children and Youth - Youth
Grants program. See final report - "Young people's perspectives on help seeking:
Findings of a South West youth survey."
Service Directories: A directory of
support services for families with young children has been
developed for families in central Bunbury, Harvey and Manjimup.
Similar directories are planned for roll out to other South West
towns.
Other
Activities
Advocacy: IIOY are involved in a community group that are
advocating for a review of community and regional transport needs
across the South West. View our recent letter to the office of the
Minister of Transport - Transport Letter.
Working Groups:
- IIOY are involved in the South West Disability Coalition
Reference Group. The group have been supporting the development
of a service directory a service directory for families
with children who have special needs.
- IIOY are assisting with planning for a driver training
program for young Aboriginal people and young people from low
socio-economic backgrounds.
- IIOY are involved in planning a disability expo that
has a youth focus (to take place in December, 2010).
Memberships:
- Bunbury Early Years Network,
- South West Youth Coordinating Network
- Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
(ARACY)
- In Town Lunch Centre
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