Youth Project
What is the Youth Project?
The Strong Spirit Strong Mind Youth Project aims to raise awareness of the harms associated with alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues & improve social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) among young Aboriginal people and their families and communities across Western Australia.
The Project focuses on young people aged 12 to 25 years and encourages these young Aboriginal people to develop the knowledge and attitudes to choose healthy lifestyles, promote healthy environments and create safer communities.
Project activities include:
- A prevention campaign
- An Aboriginal Youth Reference Group
- Targeted AOD/SEWB strategies for young Aboriginal people
The SSSM Youth Project team would like to acknowledge and thank all the young Aboriginal people who have contributed to our project activities.
Prevention Campaign
The Strong Spirit Strong Mind Youth Project campaign has been running since 2012 and aimed to prevent and delay the early uptake of alcohol and other drugs by young Aboriginal people in the Perth metropolitan area.
The campaign set out to increase awareness of the risks/harms associated with alcohol and other drug use and improve awareness of the support services available.
The key messages of the campaign included:
- Strong inner spirit keeps our family strong, our community strong and our culture alive.
- Getting drunk or stoned can put you in shameful and dangerous situations.
- Using drugs and alcohol can mess with your mind and affect your relationships.
- When our spirit is strong, our mind is strong and we make good decisions.
Through the recent election in 2021 the Strong Spirit Strong Mind Metro Project will now be expanded & revitalised across Western Australia and called the Strong Spirit Strong Spirit Youth Project. It will be launched late 2022.
Aboriginal Youth Reference Group
The SSSM Youth Project is guided by a group of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who form the Aboriginal Youth Reference Group (AYRG).
The main aim of the group is to provide advice and guidance on all of our SSSM Youth Project activities and resources, to ensure that the project is suitable for young Aboriginal people across Western Australia.
The AYRG is an opportunity for young people to have their say about what programs for young Aboriginal people should look like. It's also an opportunity to meet and yarn with other young people who are passionate about improving alcohol and other drug issues in the community.
To be part of the group you must be:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 12-25 years old
- Currently living in Western Australia
If you are interested in being involved or have any further questions about the AYRG, we encourage you to complete the application form and send to our SSSM Metro Project Senior Project Officer. For mor information click here.
For more information on the Youth Project, please contact our SSSM Youth Project Senior Project Officer or visit our Facebook page.