Foundation supporting Youth Week 2007

Media release 21 May 2007

Foundation for Youth Development supporting Youth Week 2007

Foundation for Youth Development is excited to support this years National Youth Week from May 21 -27. As an avid supporter of young people, FYD commends a week that celebrates young people’s positive contributions to the community with the 2007 theme “Your Community Needs Youth.”

FYD provides young people from age 5 to 18 with the opportunity to build self-confidence, and learn valuable life skills by participating in their free youth development programmes Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K. Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson founded FYD in 1994 in response to the alarming statistics and negative images of New Zealand’s young people throughout the media.

FYD’s key vision is to impact positively on the lives of young New Zealanders, creating the next generation of valuable members of communities, successful parents, leaders and business people.

“Fostering positive youth development involves providing young people with the opportunity to express their feelings and ideas, and diverse ways to participate and contribute to decision making at all levels in their community” says Kirsty Pillay-Hansen, Training and Development Manager.

Therefore community projects are a core component of Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K, actively encouraging young people to get involved with their community.

“We can change perceptions and reduce the media’s tendency to report on negative youth issues by providing young people with more opportunities to be actively involved and make positive contributions to their communities. We must celebrate the talent, creativity and diversity of our young people and everything they have to offer” says Pillay-Hansen.

ENDS

Note to Editors:
1. About Foundation for Youth’s programmes

Kiwi Can
Kiwi Can is a life skills and values programme for 5-12 year olds. It is delivered in primary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand. Kiwi Can provides a permanent and preventive model for teaching children a system of values, respect for themselves and a feeling of belonging and engagement with the community around them. The key message is “I can”, and by positively affirming this message, Kiwi Can teaches young New Zealanders that the first step towards a better future for the whole country starts with the attitudes and aspirations of the individual.

Stars
Stars is a programmme for all year 9 students where teachers are Group Leaders and senior students are trained to be Peer Mentors. The programme assists the year 9 students make a safe transition into their secondary school environment and develops leadership in the seniors thereby creating a strong sense of community within the school. Stars was established in 2000 and is currently run in seven schools in five regions: Northland, Auckland, South Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury.

Project K
Project K is a youth development programme designed to inspire 14 – 15-year-olds to reach their potential through building self-confidence, promoting good health and education and teaching life skills such as goal setting and teamwork - through a 14 month programme of consisting of wilderness adventure, a community challenge and mentoring. The programmes are a catalyst for positive change and help equip young people so they reach their potential.

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