News Alert |

Ballarat’s youth agencies have teamed up to create an exciting 10-day program of events to celebrate National Youth Week, from Friday 5 to Sunday 14 April. 

The City of Ballarat’s Youth Development team, Youth Council, YMCA Ballarat and the Victorian Government have lined up a great list of activities and events for local young people aged 12 to 25 years – a fun way to enjoy the first week of the school holidays.  

Youth Week is a great opportunity for young people to be front and centre – express your ideas and views, and act on issues that affect your lives. 

It’s also a good excuse to celebrate and promote the positive contributions young people make to the Ballarat community.  

Ballarat’s Youth Week events include –  

Friday 5 April, 9.30am-2.30pm 

Raise your voice about mental health and tell us what’s working and what’s not at this free YMCA Stand Up Youth Summit. Guest speaker is Will Austin of Yarn Bark. 

Location: Delacombe Stadium, 16 Nandiriog Drive, Delacombe. 

Saturday 6 April, 2-3pm 

Rap and Performance Poetry Workshop with EMBE and FLOC as part of the Libraries Changes Lives Expo Day. 

Location: Sebastopol Library Community Hub, Albert Street, Sebastopol. 

Tuesday 9 April, 10am-3pm 

Thrive: In Nature and the Mind – Connect with the land we walk on and learn about caring and conservation of the earth through mindful living. Features workshops in self and earth care, including the Mega Clothes Swap. Join Will Austin of Yarn Bark to discover Wayapa Wuurrk. Bring your old threads to join in a mega clothes swap. Play musical instruments from recycled materials, meet birds of prey, make lip balm from natural ingredients and meet like-minded young people, passionate about connection, culture, country and caring for the planet. 

Location: Robert Clark Centre, Ballarat Botanical Gardens  

Book at https://VYW2019thrive.eventbrite.com.au 

Wednesday 10 April, 10am-3pm or Friday 12 April, 10am-3pm 

Home-studio podcast workshops - Learn how to use readily accessible devices to create original podcasts and voice recorded content in through two home-studio podcast workshops. Learn the skills to write, record, edit and distribute podcasts.  

Location: Barkly Square, Barkly Street, Ballarat 

Limited spaces available. Book at https://ballaratpodcastworkshop.eventbrite.com.au   

Thursday 11 April, 1.30-4.30pm 

Better Than Ted – Public Speaking Workshop - Join comedian and world-class professional presenter Sean Murphy to gain skills that will get you heard, understood and maybe even some applause. Better Than TED illuminates the way to compelling public speaking without PowerPoint or palm cards. Through a three-stage experience that explores how to clarify content, captivate audiences and engage in continuous improvement, the workshop provides you with practical insight and a platform to practice this art.  

Location: Ballarat Tech School, Albert Street, Ballarat  

Book at https://betterthantedballarat.eventbrite.com.au   

YMCA activities 

YMCA Victoria will offer a range of free and low-cost activities throughout April as part of the 2019 Active April campaign.  

For more information, visit ballarat.ymca.org.au 

For more information about Victorian Youth Week in Ballarat, follow Ballarat Youth Services on Facebook.