Dear friends, I hope that you found time for rest over the past few weeks. I have been reflecting on our work last year. It is always a privilege to work alongside young people and the youth sector in NSW, and we are grateful for the contributions you make to our collective work. We have put together impact statements to showcase the collaborative work we have done in the past year. You can read the 2023 Impact Statement here and 2023 Western Sydney Impact Statement here. I look forward to the year ahead of us and working together to continue our work in improving the lives of young people in NSW.  Over the next few months, Youth Action will evaluate our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan and will be reaching out to our members for feedback on our work. To inform our next strategic plan, we will be facilitating consultations with young people and the youth sector about how we will work, and what we will prioritise. We will be in touch with our members soon for their input. If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share, please email me on kate@youthaction.org.au.    Campaign Launch: Youth Justice Throughcare Campaign  We are excited to kick off the new year with the launch our Youth Justice Throughcare Campaign “A fair go for young people: Invest in young people because the consequences aren’t minor”. Please join us for the campaign launch on 2 February at 3:30pm on Eora Country at The Australian Theatre for Young People Pier 2/3 Hickson Road Dawes Point following the sector performance of Saplings at 2pm. Tickets for the sector performance of Saplings are still available. Purchase your tickets here. We would love to see you all there! You can read the Sydney Morning Herald review of Saplings here, there are only a few more shows between Thursday – Sunday this week. If you want more information about the campaign, you can visit the webpage here or email me on kate@youthaction.org.au.   Project Updates  Last year Youth Off the Streets commissioned Youth Action to bring together a group of young people to help design content for their training to be delivered to people working with young people with experiences of domestic, family, and sexual violence. We have facilitated three workshops and heard from an incredible group of young people about what this training could look like and how workers can appropriately support young people. We will be facilitating a DFSV Focus Group on Monday 5 February from 5:30pm-6:30pm to present the recommendations we have developed. If you are a young person 16-24 years of age that is interested in participating in the focus group, please register to attend the meeting here. You will be reimbursed for your time.   We are excited to share that we have launched our updated Ask for Health website! Over the past year we have been working with young people and service providers to develop a more accessible website. We would like to thank the team at Checkpoint Creative for their time and input into this project. You can visit the Ask for Health website here to access information about engaging young people in conversations about health and read articles on health topics written by young people and fact checked by the Ministry of Health.   Regional Tour  As you may know, last year we launched our 2023-24 Regional Tour in line with our commitment to strive to support and engage with regional young people. We visited different regional areas from Wiradjuri Country in the Riverina area of NSW to Darkinjung Country in the Central Coast, Awabakal Country in Newcastle, and Gamilaroi Country in Moree to run consultations and offer trainings for young people and the youth sector. The different trainings we offer include, strengths based advocacy, youth participation, running great advisory groups, and evidence-based practice (EBP). This year we will kick off our Regional Tour on Bundjalung Country at Grafton and Gumbaynggirr Country at Coffs Harbour. You can read more about that below. If you are interested in a consultation or training in your area, please contact Hareem our Capacity Building and Participation Officer hareem@youthaction.org.au.  And finally, Youth Action had a stall Yabun Festival on Eora Country at Victoria Park on January 26. We are grateful to the young people from our Youth Advocates Program and Health Literacy Project who supported us on the day. We asked young people “Imagine a place where young First Nations peoples are thriving in education. What does that place look like?”We will be using what young people said to guide our work this year. Have Your Say: Youth Action Online Consultation   Youth Action is writing a submission into the Inquiry into children and young people with disability in NSW schools. We want our submission to be guided by the lived experiences of young people with disability. Youth Action is inviting young people with disability to join an online consultation and have their say about the barriers they have faced, the impact of inadequate support at school and what improvements could be made to NSW schools. The Inquiry is also inviting young people with disability to share their experiences with the committee by answering an online questionnaire, lodging your own written submission, writing or typing a letter, sending in photos, sending in a drawing or by making a video or audio recording. Please see the inquiries page here for more information. Youth Action is also inviting young people to fill in a survey about how they think schools in NSW could better support students with disability. Have your say and fill in the survey here. For more information about our consultation or how you can enter your own submission, please contact our Research and Policy Officer Barb on barbara@youthaction.org.au.   Details What: Online consultation for Youth Action’s submission into the Inquiry into children and young people with disability in NSW schools When: Wednesday 31 January at 5:30pm – 7:30pm  Register here  Ask for Health Co-Facilitator Training Sessions  The Ask for Health project is offering free co-facilitator training for young people. Ask for Health will be running two training sessions this month that will run for 1.5 hours. As a co-facilitator, you support the Ask for Health team in facilitating our Health Literacy training for other young people and people who work with young people. Once trained,  co-facilitators are paid $35 an hour for their work and any travel costs will be reimbursed. If you have any further questions about the Ask for Health co-facilitation role, please contact our Health Literacy Project Coordinator – Jazzie Quinn on 0456 584 314 or email her: jazzie@youthaction.org.au.   Details What: Hybrid Ask for Health Co-Facilitator Training Session  When: 30 January at 1pm  Where: In person at Yirranma Place, 262 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst 2010 NSW and online Register here Multicultural NSW Advisory Position  Applications are currently open for positions on Multicultural NSW’s: Advisory Board, Regional Community Networks and Multicultural Youth Network. Applicants representing the diversity of the NSW community are encouraged. Membership on each Regional Community Network includes identified positions for Youth and Aboriginal people. Expressions of interest close Sunday 18 February 2024, 11.59pm.Learn more here Youth Development Scholarships   Youth Development Scholarships are now open to applications. There are 1400 scholarships available for students enrolled in education (NSW High Schools, TAFE pathway, apprenticeship/traineeship or home schooled), studying Year 10, 11 or 12, who also live in social housing or in out of home care. Applications close February 16th. Learn more here Raise Your Voice: Youth Blog   The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition are calling young Australians 12-25 years of age to contribute their thoughts to their youth blog. Whether you’re passionate about climate change, mental health, employment, education, justice, or any other issue close to your heart, your unique perspective and lived experience is welcome. Selected submissions will receive a $75 honorarium. Learn more here Gender and Sexuality Education Survey  Consent Labs is a youth-led not-for-profit organisation providing holistic sexual, respectful relationships and consent education for young people and their communities. They are developing new educational programs and resources to improve the experiences of sexuality and gender diverse young people in schools. These programs will explore gender and sexuality norms, with the aim of increasing inclusion and diversity and reducing gendered and sexual violence. Learn more here February Sector Session Please join us for our February NSW Sector Session, where we will be joined by ID Support NSW. ID Support NSW is a nation-leading unit established by NSW Government dedicated to preventing and responding to data breaches and identity misuse. They have a specialist contact centre of expert advisors trained in the identity recovery process who work with victims to shoulder the burden of remediation as well as advocate on their behalf to protect their identities. They work with industry and the community to improve practices and offer regular free awareness sessions to ensure personal information is kept safe.    Details What: NSW Sector Session on ‘Protecting your identity information from scams and fraud.’  When: Thursday 8 February at 10am Register here Upcoming Sector Sessions March: Targeted Earlier Intervention program on March 21 at 10am. Register here.  April: New Renters Kit Training on April 18 at 10am. Register here.  May: Arts and Young People on May 16 at 10am. Register here.  Ask for Health Topics Sector Panel: LGBTQIA+  Please join us for the Ask for Health Topics Sector Panel. As we approach Mardi Gras season, we have nominated the focus of this month’s panel to be LGBTQIA+ health. Following feedback from services for more specific health information, Youth Action has created monthly panels where we will hear from health experts on specific health topics. If you have any questions, or would like to nominate to be part of a sector panel, please contact the Health Literacy Project Coordinator: Jazzie Quinn by email: jazzie@youthaction.org.au or phone 0456 584 314 Details What: Ask for Health Panel on LGBTQIA+ When: Tuesday 13 February at 10am Register here Lens on Strengths: Using the ABCD Approach for Youth & Community Engagement & Development Training  Empower yourself with the Lens on Strengths training! Designed for professionals, volunteers, and leaders in the youth and community sector, this program dives deep into the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology and Storytelling. Learn how to amplify youth and community engagement, participation, and empowerment for lasting impact. The training will run on Friday 23 Feb from 9:30am – 4pm at Yirranma Place, 262 Liverpool Street Darlinghurst 2010. Learn more Evidence Based Practice Training on Bundjalung Country Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is an approach that is about ensuring that the interventions that we are making into the lives of individuals and communities are effective. This workshop introduces youth workers to EPB. Youth Action will be facilitating the training at 2 Prince Street, Grafton Council Chambers on Tuesday 20 Feb at 11am. For more information, or if you are interested in a consultation or training in your area, please contact Hareem our Capacity Building and Participation Officer hareem@youthaction.org.au.  Training on Gumbaynggirr Country  Youth Action is in the process of organizing a training at Coffs Harbour on Wednesday 21 Feb at 10:30am. For updates and more information about the training, please contact Hareem on hareem@youthaction.org.au. Register interest for Tenancy Training for Community Workers and Community Groups  The NSW Tenants Union is collecting expression of interest for anyone who is keen to attend or host a Tenancy Training session (i.e. at a youth network or interagency).  Learn more AYAC Spotlight Series: In Conversation with Professor Tim Corney PhD   Join the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) in an online conversation on Thursday 22 February from 12:30pm–1:30pm celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the National Definition of Youth Work in Australia! Hear from Professor Tim Corney, one of the definition’s creators, as he shares perspectives on the National Definition of Youth Work in Australia against a current national and international landscape. Learn more A Fairer NSW for Young People: NSW 2024-25 Pre-Budge Submission Youth Action has released our Pre-Budget Submission A Fairer NSW for Young People to inform NSW Treasury in the development of the 2024-2025 Budget. This submission is grounded in the voices and lived experiences of the young people and the services who support them that we heard from in our consultations throughout 2023. Youth Action is asking for a specific focus on young people and the services and supports they need to tackle the challenges they face in the NSW Government 2024-2025 Budget. Learn more.  New Renters Kit The Tenants’ Union of NSW has made this kit to help renters avoid common pitfalls and resolve issues that may arise over the course of a tenancy. The kit combines legal resources with practical tips to help you get on your feet. Learn more. Youth Co-research Toolkit for Researchers  The Young and Resilient Research Centre have developed a toolkit that offers guidance, advice, tips and practical tools to support collaborative co-research partnerships between researchers and young people. Learn more.