An update from the Advocate

An Update from the Advocate

Dear Friend of ACYP,

This week we head into one of my favourite weeks as Advocate - Children's Week!

I can't wait to head to events across NSW with the ACYP team and meet with children to celebrate this year's theme, centred on Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, "Children have the right to a clean and safe environment."

This week we announced our 2025 Youth Advisory Council, truly one of the best parts of my job is calling 12 young people to tell them they have made the council. So excited to work with these amazing young people over the next year!

This meant we waved goodbye to our 2024 YAC. It has been a great year with them and they have produced amazing work, including their mental health project. It is ACYP's privilege to work with, listen to and learn from each YAC. We thank them for their service and know that they will continue lifting up the voices of children and young people in their communities.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement; we look forward to sharing more exciting developments with you soon.

2024 NSW Children's Week

NSW Children’s Week will be celebrated from Saturday, 19 October to Sunday, 27 October 2024. Throughout the week, communities across the state will be hosting a variety of events and activities, including workshops, performances, and community gatherings.

Centred on Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Children have the right to a clean and safe environment.

The Advocate and the ACYP team will be celebrating Children’s Week across multiple events and activities including:

Children at Bush Magic Bush Adventures in Wollongong which will include creek play, nature based arts and craft and interactive activities with ACYP
Students at Redfern Jarjum College to read 'Stand Proud', by Nicho Hynes, and
Students from the Oaks Public school at Wooglemai Environmental Education Centre where they will participate in a bushwalk, archery and advocacy for their local communities.

We will also welcome Year 10 Work Experience students from Northmead Creative Arts, Bonnyrigg High School and Fort St High School for an exciting week of policy, participation, advocacy, marketing, communications and question time.

This week, we will announce the winners of our Children's Week Art Competition, which received almost 400 submissions! Keep an eye on our socials for the announcement.

2025 Youth Advisory Council announced!

Twelve outstanding young visionaries from all corners of NSW have been chosen to join the 2025 Youth Advisory Council. We look forward to working with the YAC over the next 12 months and learning more about their perspectives and real-life experiences to inform their activities over the next year.

Members of the 2025 Youth Advisory Council include:

Aavash P, Panania
Adele M, Dapto
Deena C, Tea Gardens
Ellen A, Allambie Heights
Jai M, Hamlyn Terrace
Lily B, Kanahooka
Maddison EW, Gorokan
Mia R, Dubbo
Owen P, Chippendale
Riley Y, Terranora
Shirine N, Griffith
Zartasha I, Casula

2024 YAC’s advocacy to reduce the stigma of mental health

Over the last year, the 2024 YAC has been working on a project to reduce the stigma of mental health. The YAC heard from over 100 young people and collaborated with Batyr’s National Youth Advisory Group, the NSW Ministry of Health Mental Health Youth Advisory Group, and the Department of Student Voices in Education and Schools (DOVES) Youth Advisory Group. Across their consultations, young people reported they do not think enough is being done in schools to help educate children and young people to have positive conversations about mental health.

In September – October 2024, members of the YAC have briefed the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Hon. Prue Car, MP, and Minister for Mental Health and Youth, the Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC, and the new NSW Mental Health Commissioner, Jennifer Black on their research and recommendations. While work continues, we congratulate the 2024 YAC on their term and an outstanding outcome. Watch this space to hear more.

Reorganizing photos to ensure they are all displayed can be a delightful and rewarding task, whether for personal enjoyment or professional presentation. First, gather all your photos in one locat (4)

Social Media Summit

On Thursday 11 October, the Advocate and Minister for Youth facilitated two workshops with 100 young people aged 12 – 25 years as part of the NSW Government’s Social Media Summit.

Young people nominated which issue they would like to unpack and worked with their peers to brainstorm and pitch solutions to address this issue. It was a fantastic result to have young people participate in a decision-making process that will impact them.

Clean up your community - Children's Week competition

In partnership with Return and Earn and the NSW Environmental Protectional Authority, ACYP would like to encourage schools to foster clean and safe environments as a part of the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Scheme. You can enter our ‘Clean up your community’ competition here.

The school with the highest number of bottles or cans collected will win a prize up to $1000. Entries close on Friday 1 November 11.59pm. See here for more information about the competition, terms and conditions. The winner will be announced on ACYP’s socials.

Submit your entry

The Advocate and YAC members at Parliamentary Inquiries

In September, the Advocate and current 2024 YAC members Zak, Ellen and YAC alumni Billy attended a public inquiry into proposals to increase voter engagement, participation and confidence.

The Committee heard from Zak, Billy and Ellen speaking on the need for children and young people to be able to genuinely participate in decisions that affect them and shared their insights around voter engagement.

Igniting our creativity!

Over the school holidays, the ACYP RYSS team facilitated a school holiday activity at the Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre (MDNC).

Twelve participants aged 8-12 years had fun making new friends through drawing, writing, and creating characters in their new notebooks. It was a beautiful morning in the outdoor courtyard, and everyone enjoyed the free community lunch provided by MDNC (homemade pizza and pasta!).

The activities were designed with therapeutic benefits in mind. They brought the group into the present moment, as they asked their brain to do something unusual.

They built connection with each other by first drawing characters, and then writing stories about them. Writing helps us to release, play and care for ourselves in ways that talking can’t. Writing and drawing by hand engages our sensory functions, which can help to regulate the nervous system. The process of engaging our imagination exercises our storytelling muscle. This can disrupt anxious, busy brains and tired bodies.

The participants got to take their wonderful journals home with them to continue exploring their creativity.

Signals in the noise: Why is cyber and data so hard?

This week the Advocate took part in a panel at SXSW Sydney, alongside the Hon. Victor Dominello, Paul Rush, Lesley Seebeck and Michelle Price.

They spoke on all things cyber data, privacy and spoke about self-agency in a tech driven world, and how ageist yet non-human the conversation is.

Free City of Sydney program for young people in NSW!

The Australian School of Entrepreneurship has partnered with Atlassian & City of Sydney to support Social Entrepreneurs aged 16 to 24!

Their first speaker for our program has been announced as the incredible Brendan Wong at LinkedIn who will be kicking off the program on Wednesday, 27 November 2024.

Applications are closing soon! Apply now though the link.

It's fully free and accessible for young people, thanks to City of Sydney.

Apply here

If you would like to know more about anything in this newsletter or have any questions, please get in touch by emailing us at acyp@acyp.nsw.gov.au.

Zoë Robinson
Advocate for Children and Young People