Youth of Forbes and Parkes had the chance to have their voices heard at the Connect and Thrive - Pathways event in Parkes.
Delivered by the NSW Office for Regional Youth, Connect and Thrive - Pathways is a direct response to feedback from the 2024 Your Voice, Our Future consultation and NSW Youth Summit, where our youth called for more meaningful, face to face engagement in their own communities.
The event included a youth-led networking session, a leadership and communication skills workshop and a Pitch It Session featuring local businesses, councils and community groups sharing opportunities for youth employment and engagement.
Another highlight of the event was the Think Tank session where students collaborated with their fellow peers to co-design solutions to challenges they face in their communities.
Students from Forbes High School, Red Bend Catholic College, Parkes High School and Parkes Christian School took part in the event where they were equipped with the tools, networks and confidence they need to shape their futures.
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Annaliese Green:
Forbes High School student Annaliese Green said she found out a lot of opportunities that she had never heard about until she attended the Connect and Thrive event.
"I was really surprised and impressed by the Council's trainee and apprentices," Annaliese said.
In the Think Tank session Annaliese's group discussed youth crime, domestic violence and ongoing mental health struggles. "While these topics are extremely heavy, we discussed ways we could support out community. We explored having information sessions for the community to learn about mental health and how to support people in difficult situations of grief, abuse or ongoing suffering. We, as school-aged people, have been very lucky in our education around mental health but we understand that this is only a recent addition to the public system's curriculum."
Annaliese said the event was a lot of fun and it opened her eyes to possibilities of volunteering. "Kids see a lot more than anyone thinks they do, we understand the struggles of our communities, therefore giving us these opportunities to practice using our voice and exploring possibilities for change will give us the confidence and practice to then do it into our adulthood," Annaliese added.
Marcus Colvin:
Marcus Colvin said there were many different institutions in place to enable more youth engagement.
"There were public libraries and companies that people were able to join to give them more of an opportunity to be a part of the communities."
At the Think Tank session Marcus's group discovered that the community needs to create a higher sense of togetherness and leave behind the idea that everyone is separate. "Additionally, on the topic of mental health, we realised that it needs to be focused on more in-depth to ensure that everyone's problems are dealt with and not ignored."
A session that Marcus found valuable was was the youth networking session. "This session helped enable us to realise that there are many different paths we can take to achieve greatness and find what we love in life. The event was important and helpful to develop our skills on how to identify problems and what can be done to resolve those issues."
Marcus said it is important to have these events for the youth in our community as it helps to create a new group of leadership among young people to help improve the future of others.
Bella Henry:
Bella Henry leant that there are many opportunities for youth in small communities such as joining new groups like the Forbes Youth Action Team (FYAT).
"This session allowed us to hear from different people that do many different jobs or activities among the community," Bella said. "I knew about FYAT as I am part of it, I have not heard about the majority of the other branches but it was very interesting." A problem that was raised in Bella's group during the Think Tank session was the rise of youth crimes over the years.
"One of the solutions we thought of was to provide 24 hour policing because the police in Forbes stop patrolling at 11pm, causing a spike in night-time crimes." Bella thought the event was a massive step towards improvement within the community.
"This event helped youth share their opinions and ideas towards our community and how we truly feel about the situations within the community. Young people don't get a voice or get an opinion about our community so providing youth with a voice can promote a safer and healthier community."
Bella said events like this can involve young people in the decision making process within our community. "Youth can form new leaders and promote change for a better future."
Chloe Little:
Chloe Little said she was surprised by all the different opportunities there are for our rural area. In the Think Tank session Chloe's group discussed that having facilities in our area where youth can hang out would have a positive impact on them through connection, support and interaction.
"It's important to recognise the growing issues in our communities, so these matters don't grow bigger," Chloe said. "As young people, we are the future so we have to be the ones to make the change. Networking is really important for a successful future as people you meet may remember you and your actions could come back in a positive way years later."
Chloe said the event was great and helped students who attended understand that there are so many young leaders who want to better our community.
"My favourite session was the Pitch It session as we got to interact and get to know some really cool. passionate and knowledgeable people. It's important to have events such as Connect and Thrive to inform the youth about issues important to them and their futures," Chloe added.
