Take Charge! 2014
The second annual Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Forum was a huge success, drawing 140 Riverina students together for a day of inspirational guest speakers and workshops combined with an energetic hula-hooping activity and opportunities to share ideas with like-minded young people from throughout the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC) area.
The Riverina students were inspired by guest speakers Eve Cogan, Emma Byrne and Tim Silverwood.
Eve Cogan is a 12-year-old girl from Sydney who shared her mission to gain recognition for the inventor of the Black Box, Australian David Warren. She told the students of the various opportunities she had presented to her simply by finding a passion and following it.
Emma Byrne works for Youth Strategy and Participation with the NSW Government, built on a background of youth advocacy and representation. Growing up in the Riverina, Emma was Wagga Wagga Young Citizen of the Year in 2009, and urged the students to get out, Take Charge, and achieve their dreams.
Tim Silverwood is a passionate environmentalist committed to raising awareness of waste and its impact on the natural environment. He shared his passion with the Riverina students, encouraging them to make a positive impact on their environment, and to follow their own passion.
Between listening to the guest speakers, the students rotated around three separate capacity building workshops –
- Leadership in Action – featured young people already making a contribution to their own Riverina communities, where students heard from Katelyn Veitch about her Get Up, Stand Up and Fight campaign, Kaarin Edyvean about Music 4 Mates and Terry Watson sharing his experiences from the very successful Gundagai Youth Council.
- Take Charge and Volunteer – the Riverina’s youth volunteer website www.takecharge.org.au was outlined to students
- Headspace – Maja Asmus from Headspace Wagga spoke to students about developing resilience and about tools they can use to look after their mental and physical health
By the end of the action packed day, held on Friday, August 29 at Charles Sturt University, students returned to their patch of the Riverina inspired to Take Charge and show leadership in their communities.
Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Forum is a project of REROC and the 2014 Forum was funded by the NSW Government through Youth Opportunities.
To keep in touch with all Take Charge activities, including Take Charge and Volunteer, like the Take Charge Riverina Facebook page. Y
Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Dinner 2014
The second annual Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Dinner was held on Friday, August 29, 2014, to celebrate the leadership roles young people play in their communities throughout the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils area.
Council Mayors, General Managers and other representatives accompanied young people aged 18-30 from throughout the Riverina at the dinner which was held at Elements at the Gardens restaurant.
A feature of the dinner was the launch of the Take Charge and Volunteer website by Member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire and Member for Albury Greg Aplin, as well as addresses from guest speakers Tim Silverwood and Emma Byrne.
In launching the website, Mr Maguire explained the Take Charge project was the result of a need in REROC communities - the need to foster representation by young people in leadership positions, and the need to increase low numbers of young people participating in community activities through volunteering.
Mr Aplin also outlined that www.takecharge.org.au was a mobile friendly website which matched the two sides of the volunteer relationship – the organisation and the volunteer – and helped foster a fruitful volunteering relationship which will reap rewards on both sides.
Ms Byrne and Mr Silverwood, who also addressed the Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Forum held during the day at Charles Sturt University, shared their inspirational stories during the dinner.
Ms Byrne shared her life story from her upbringing in the Riverina, including being named Wagga Wagga Young Citizen of the Year in 2009, through to now working for Youth Strategy and Participation with the NSW Government, built on a background of youth advocacy and representation.
Mr Silverwood shared his passion for the environment, and outlined his commitment to raising awareness of waste and its impact on the natural environment, a passion which was generated from going to the beach and simply seeing the impact of discarded waste.
Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Forum is a project of REROC and the development of the website was funded by the NSW Government through Youth Opportunities.
2014 Forum Photos
2014 Dinner Photos
