In preparation for Youth Week, Bels, our Peer Support intern, developed a survey to collect input from rangatahi about their ideas for change in Te Awakairangi. From this we hoped to develop responses to the key trends that were reported. This survey yielded 77 respondents between the ages of 11-18, and 13 of these rangatahi have asked to participate in leading the events. The survey indicated three key themes were the most important for rangatahi currently:
1. feeling safe in their community,
2. environmental action
3. youth leadership opportunities.
Our Youth Week events are being developed in response to the feedback. Vibe is planning to run two events as part of Youth Week this year. These events are practical responses to identified opportunities for change by rangatahi themselves, and provide opportunities for rangatahi to engage with their community.
Event One: Hang Out in the City
An all-inclusive post-school hang out space in central Lower Hutt full of food, creative activites, games and community participation opportunities. Our event will be centred around creating positive experiences for rangatahi in a space that can feel unsafe, and also giving them a chance to share their ideas via our engagement activities. This will run from 3.30pm through until 7pm, so that it is accessible to rangatahi who do not attend a college that is local to the space. We are partnering with the council to provide a small space that is nearer to the CBD than Vibe is, so that the positivity generated for rangatahi from this event is central to where they spend time.
We will be running a free BBQ and have music playing to help create a positive atmosphere. The space will have engagement games such as jenga, and table tennis that rangatahi can play with each other or with Vibe staff. There will be an opportunities noticeboard of volunteering and leadership events and opportunities will be present that rangatahi can engage with to find places to make a difference.
One of our engagement activities is a “feedback chalkboard” where rangatahi can respond to thought-provoking discussion questions about community leadership and youth inclusiveness. This feedback will be shared with community stakeholders.
The event is organised by rangatahi, but Vibe youth workers will staff this event to support them and others attending. They will utilise their community knowledge to signpost young people to different community leadership and engagement opportunities within Lower Hutt. Vibe staff will also support the rangatahi event leaders through debriefing and conversation support.
Through this event, our aims are:
– to help rangatahi have a positive experience in the city;
– to provide information that leads to volunteering and leadership opportunities in the community;
– to connect the young people attending with our free services at Vibe, and also our Vibe Rangatahi Group.
Event Two: Planting Day (LH & UH)
In response to the environmental action feedback we have received, we are liaising with local community environmental organisations in spaces that they already work. These groups have offered to host us and show our rangatahi how to effectively care for the native landscape. We plan on working with the Friends of the Waiwhetu Stream, Friends of Horoeka Scenic Reserve and the Mawaihakona Stream Restoration project. We will provide the opportunity near both our Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt sites for this, including transporting rangatahi to the site of the planting.
The aim of this event is to support young people in making a difference environmentally in their community, and signpost them towards other places that engage in this mahi. We hope to use this as a follow on event from the Hang out in the city event to keep rangatahi engaged and connected with the work of Vibe.
The rangatahi will lead this event by signing young people up to participate, organising transport needs (with Vibe youth worker support), delivering the health and safety talks, and demonstrating the correct planting techniques. We will provide food for young people attending as a further incentive.
From this event, our aims are:
– to inspire young people to continue to take climate changing actions, and engage with more community planting projects in their area.
– to connect the young people attending with our free services at Vibe, and also our Vibe Rangatahi Group.