Victorian Youth Week is 15 November- 15 December 2020. This special occasion is designed to provide young people with the opportunity to:
- express their ideas and views
- raise issues which concern them
- act on issues that affect their lives
- engage in fun activities to support their health and wellbeing.
Youth Week was cancelled earlier in the year as a result of COVID-19 and we felt it befitting to highlight some of the amazing achievements of our youth despite the obstacles they faced in 2020.
We know that COVID-19 affected how we work and live. For Anchor and our clients, we had to quickly learn how to adapt to a changing world. For our youth clients, we knew it was more important than ever that they could continue their studies and maintain a sense of stability during this time.
WHAT WE DID
To assist, Anchor ensured our youth clients had all the necessary equipment such as laptops, printers and Wi-Fi so that they could continue with their studies at home with a minimal disruption as possible. We also made it a priority to focus on both the emotional and mental well being of our young people as they were forced to be isolated from friends and their usual social activities. Some practices we focused on included:
- Mental health questionnaires focused on reflection and conversations about their well-being.
- Regular contact via email, phone and Zoom
- Trivia nights and games nights
- Food boxes delivered monthly and care packages.
WHAT OUR YOUTH ACHIEVED AND HOW THEY RESPONDED
These were just some of the things our volunteers and staff did to respond to a changing COVID world. We are so proud of our young people who worked with us to ensure they were able continue their lives and studies as much as possible. During the lockdown and thanks to the dedication of our young people we saw some amazing things happen!
- two young people obtained their driver’s license (after obtaining special consideration),
- one person completed their year 12 whilst working part time and living alone
- four young people commenced part-time work and
- three young mothers commenced with our Support Young Families program.
Overall, the young people have taken lockdown in their stride and been able to achieve a lot of their goals regardless of the challenges. Whilst we all miss our face to face contact and in particular our group dinners, we are looking towards a positive future where this can recommence and a possible Christmas lunch catch up.
YOUTH WEEK INFORMATION
To find out more about Anchor’s youth services please visit www.anchor.org.au/.
You can also find out about your local community digital Youth Week activities by clicking here.
For more specific council activities, please see below: