Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) is thrilled to announce a collaboration with PROJECT ROCKIT to bring a digital anti-bullying platform to students in the Southern Mallee and Great South Coast regions this May.
YACVic will team up with PROJECT ROCKIT, Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, delivering sessions to local educators and students to launch PROJECT ROCKIT Online, an interactive, digital program, which helps young people tackle (cyber)bullying.
Local students will get to experience a unique strengths-based workshop from both YACVic and PROJECT ROCKIT, with schools involved then being gifted PROJECT ROCKIT Online for their year 8 students to continue learnings. The program equips students to stand up to hate with credible, empowering tips while allowing young people to be in the driver’s seat of their learning.
The sessions will run in Southern Mallee (Swan Hill) on Monday 14 May and in Great South Coast (Warrnambool) on 21 May.
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“We want young people to live their best lives,” YACVic CEO Leo Fieldgrass said. “Students should be empowered to understand cyberbullying and know how to tackle bullying when they see it play out in their schools and online,” Mr Fieldgrass said.
As the peak body advocating for young people and the youth sector, YACVic is committed to strengthening young people’s community participation and self-advocacy.
YACVic works in partnership with young people, youth practitioners and our partner agencies in the Southern Mallee and Great South Coast with the knowledge that young people and youth professionals in rural and regional Victoria often have unique insights and face different challenges to those in metropolitan Melbourne.
PROJECT ROCKIT co-founder and co-CEO, Rosie Thomas said “We are passionate about ensuring that all young people have access to effective and inspiring anti-bullying and cyber safety education and technology no matter where they live. This youth-led approach is the missing piece in cyber safety education.”
Since 2006, the PROJECT ROCKIT movement has reached over 300,000 students in over 500 schools across Australia, encouraging young people to step up and become empowered to make change happen.
Designed over the course of three years with the input of young people, leading researchers and educators, PROJECT ROCKIT Online has been described by psychologist Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg as “an Australian first in the fight against bullying”.
“Young people are the experts in their own lives,” Mr. Fieldgrass said. “We know that fostering a youth-led approach through consultation and the co-design of programs with young people is the best way to produce programs that actually work.”
Further details for educators are available at www.projectrockit.com.au/online
For Southern Mallee and Great South Coast educators wanting to access PROJECT ROCKIT Online for their year 8 students, please contact chloe@projectrockit.com.au.
PROJECT ROCKIT Online is now available to all Australian schools.
Further comment:
Leo Fieldgrass – CEO Youth Affairs Council Victoria – 0439 254 667 or lfieldgrass@yacvic.org.au.
Andy Bell – YACVic Rural Manager – 0427 464 335 or rural@yacvic.org.au