Mental Health Week 2009

Mental Health Week is an annual national event which aims to engage communities in activities which promote good mental health, and raise awareness and understanding of the needs, experiences and issues concerning people with a mental illness.

Mental Health Week in 2009 will commence on Sunday 4 October and run through to Saturday 10 October – which is also World Mental Health Day.

Check out the Queensland Government’s official Mental Health website

Also the Mental Health Association Queensland website has more information

If you are interested in Mental Health, check out the calendar of events for October.

Sunday 4 October

Check out the services for Monday

Monday 5 October

Check out the services for Monday

Tuesday 6 October

Check out the services for Tuesday

Wednesday 7 October

Check out the services for Wednesday

Thursday 8 October

Check out the services for Thursday

Friday 9 October

Check out the services for Friday

Saturday 10 October

Check out the services for Saturday

YourTutor, Council library’s FREE online tutoring service

Did you know that high school aged young people can access one-to-one tutoring through Brisbane City Council Library’s YourTutor service?

YourTutor is a free online service that connects primary and high school students to qualified, expert tutors in Maths, Science and English.

Yourtutor also provides project and assignment support and covers curriculum areas from years 4 to 12, chat online with a tutor, share documents, images, web pages and illustrate ideas.

To get started with Yourtutor, visit Council’s Libraries then follow these three simple steps:

1. click on ‘Yourtutor’
2. select your level and subject
3. then click ‘go’

Library members can access Yourtutor from their home computers between 4-8pm, Monday to Friday.

Other resources

If you’re looking for more information for homework or assignments visit the library catalogue to search individual databases or Database Single Search:

• visit Libraries click on ‘library catalogue search’
• then ‘Databases’
• view periodical, academic and media databases:

You will find many articles and reference books online including:

• Opposing viewpoints reference centre – search an easy to use A-Z list of subjects for information on hot topics including animal rights, bioethics, cloning, feminism, global warming and renewable energy.
• Britannica Online – the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica database of 72,000 articles including sound, animation and over 10,000 illustrations is free to access for all library members.

Brightest Young Minds Summit applications now open!

If you are selected as a BYM, it will unlock a world of opportunity for you. And after experiencing the summit, you will never be the same again. BYM is for young people between the ages of 18 and 28.

Being selected as one of Australia’s Brightest Young Minds depends on so much more than just IQ. We are looking for the future leaders of Australia: We generally look for people with Leadership, Passion, Creativity, Initiative, Intelligence and Perseverance. However, we are very open-minded and consider each application carefully, so feel free to argue for and justify your selection on any other bases you wish.

If you are someone that knows he/she is going to make an impact, then fill out an application now!

http://db.bym.com.au/bym/application.html

QLD Guide to Driver Safety

With drivers who text message spending four times longer with their eyes off the road compared with drivers who are not distracted, Pro-Visual Publishing has called for greater awareness of the dangers of texting while driving through its Queensland Guide to Driver Safety 2009.

The new safety Guide, which will be distributed free of charge in the coming weeks, will target young drivers between the ages of 17 and 24 who represent the greatest safety risk, accounting for 22% of annual road fatalities.

Along with drawing Queensland’s young drivers’ attention to their high risk status, the Guide also provides useful tactics to avoid texting while driving and highlights current laws and associated fines.

“Mobile phones are an essential part of many young people’s lives. But it is vital that they are aware that mobile phones and driving do not mix,” said Pro-Visual’s CEO John Hutchings. “By displaying the chart prominently in educational facilities across Queensland, young and inexperienced drivers will have a daily reminder of essential driver safety information.”

Also featured in this year’s Guide are the topics of driving hazards, the threats associated with drink driving, fatigue and pedestrians.

The Guide is directed to all high schools, universities, TAFE colleges, and all advanced driver training schools throughout Queensland. Additional copies are available and all Guides are produced and distributed without cost thanks to sponsorship.

For further information, or to obtain additional copies of the chart call Pro-Visual Publishing on (02) 8272 2611, email enquiries@provisual.com.au or see www.provisual.com.au

Championship Moves For When You’re Out Drinking

 Got the Moves to keep you and your mates out of trouble? It takes a real champion to keep their mates safe.  Any idiot can start a fight but a champion can spot trouble early and prevent it from escalating.

Check out some of the winning moves – like The Chef, The Muzzle or The Lasso! They are moves that could save lives. At the very least they could keep everyone safe and on the right side of the law. So, when you’re out drinking, look out for your mates and respect everyone’s right to a good time.

 

Head to the Championship Moves website

Free training for young people aged 18-25 years

Project 180 is a 20 week full time paid work experience, job preparation, life skills and accredited training program (through Brisbane North Institute of TAFE) for young people aged 18-25 years experiencing limited opportunities in the Brisbane area.  It is run out of a purpose-built facility in Enoggera providing young people with:

• Industry based experience in sound engineering and mixing (through our on site commercial recording studio)
• Specialised multi media and graphic design education
• Illustration, video design and editing
• Specialised workshops with guest speakers and local performing artists
• Life skills workshops
• Industry visits
• Pathways to industry employment and further education

The next Project 180 is due to start at the end of July 2009.

Download the application form

Download the Fact Sheet for Organisations

Download the Fact Sheet for young people

2009 Young Social Pioneers of Australia

FYA is searching for the 2009 Young Social Pioneers of Australia.  If you’re an aspiring young leader, who is up to something great, let us know about your work.  You could gain a place on our one year program, which offers an environment to further develop your skills and learning. You’ll have access to professional mentors, training, and networks, plus an exciting opportunity to gain recognition for your valuable work.

Applications are open for another seven weeks until 26 June 2009

Criteria

* 18-29 years old
* Actively working on an idea for a minimum of six months
* Available for finalist weekend 25-26 July 2009 and the first retreat 27 August – 4 September 2009

Areas of work

* Education
* Environment
* Health
* Human rights
* Performing and visual arts
* Politics
* Science & technology
* Social justice
* Wellbeing

For further information and to apply visit www.youngsocialpioneers.org.au.

Young Social Pioneers is an initiative of The Foundation for Young Australians.

Third Lagoons Wetland Project

Visible Ink Zillmere in partnership with Kurbingui Youth Development will work with primary and secondary school students to design, create and install various art pieces along the Ariba Unuba walking trail, including 3 signs and 3 signature art pieces. This will involve a series of 10-12 hands on design workshops, including installation.

The design of the art pieces, are to incorporate a “Wetlands Biodiversity and Nature Recycles”, theme into the design elements.

• Young people will develop an awareness of their environment, history and cultural significance of their local area.
• The project will involve young people in BCC planning processes and community arts process.
• The project will engage young people and BCC in exploring issues of mutual interest.
• Young people will further develop their artistic skills, have the opportunity to work with established artists and have opportunities to showcase their work to their peers and community.

Participant Organisations

• Visible Ink Zillmere
• Third Lagoon Wetland, Deagon
• Bracken Ridge High School
• Nashville primary school
• BCC Natural Areas Team
• BCC Creative Communities Team
• BCC North Team
• Local Indigenous Elders

Photo Gallery

Look at some of the beautiful and colourful photos from this event! (Needs Flash enabled)

Video

Watch the “Bush Neighbours” video, which was part of the Third Lagoons Wetland Project

Jess

Meet Jessica. In 2005, Jess enrolled at the Albert Park Flexi School, an inclusive learning community that supported her to do, well, whatever she dreamed of! Sure, there were no fairies or flying cars involved, but as Jess said “there’s just something special about APFS that makes you feel like you belong”.

And it was this “something special” that gave Jess the inspiration and determination to take up work experience at City Hall in 2006, then graduate at the end of the same year. But wait, there’s more! What really rocked out was Jess recently being offered employment by Council as an admin trainee.

We got a little glimpse into the world of the soon-to-be Council superstar…

Music? :: ‘Anything that isn’t country!’

Spare time? :: ‘Hanging out with friends’

Inspiration? :: ‘To see somebody from extraordinary circumstances that can transform and begin to love life when they should be hating it.’

New job? :: ‘Scared! APFS is flexible, but maybe work won’t be like that!’

You’re on a desert island, and the monkey who is the boss of the island asks you for some advice. The monkey’s got a short memory, so you only get one sentence :: ‘Even if you don’t think something’s possible, you can achieve it if you stick with it.’

Copy & Destroy Zine Library

The Zine Library can be accessed Monday to Thursday, 12-5pm in the Visible Ink Valley Youth Space.

What’s Visible Ink’s Copy & Destroy Zine Library you might ask? Well it’s a collection of literally hundreds of zines created by people throughout Brisbane and the world on a range of topics from globalisation to graffiti that have been collected over a few years and displayed for your viewing. The library was created by a few young people with a passion for making and collecting zines. Through heaps of hard work the library is now a snapshot of the opinions of a massive variety of people from Brisbane and the globe.

Copy and Destroy isn’t a massive library like the State Library at Southbank, but it’s equally important because it’s got a huge and unique range of zines, on heaps of different topics, from not only around Brisbane or Australia, but the whole world! It’s totally free to look through, and it’s probably one of the only places in the state where you can check stuff out from a bunch of talented zine writers and artists.

Creating a zine is a really easy and direct way to get your message out there. You don’t have to worry about people controlling what you produce, editing your words to mean something different or getting your opinion rejected. It’s simply about having a say and expressing yourself through words, or art or whatever method you decide to use.

If you write a zine and want heaps of other young people to read it, you can call into Visible Ink Valley and add your zine to the awesome collection… Don’t think that it’s an impossible task either. Visible Ink Valley has resources that can help you out. There’s photocopiers, computers and other people to talk to about your thoughts; the only thing they can’t provide is the crazy ideas that you want to write about. And if you really want to get an idea out there, I reckon the proof is the fact that Copy and Destroy has made it onto Wikipedia, and everyone knows you’ve made it when you’re on Wikipedia! But that’s not the point. The point is with a zine at the Copy & Destroy Zine library, who knows who is going to pick it up, read through it and share your crazy awesome ideas.

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