Youth Voices
The cornerstone of youth voices is to create leadership opportunities for all young people.
The Youth Voices Story …
We have been running SALSA Youth Voices since 2016. When the pandemic threw a curveball in 2020, we had to think differently about reaching young people. In 2021, we decided to use the Youth Voices framework and run the Youth Voices COVID-19 Video Competition. In 2022, we ran the Youth Voices Unpacking Vaping poster competition. We will host the Youth Voices competition annually regarding student responses to emerging public health issues.
Reasons why the way the program is run is so beneficial
Youth Voices is one of the most effective ways to reach young people. It is about considering their perspectives, ideas, experiences, knowledge, and actions. This is particularly important among voices that are often not heard. Students are given opportunities to identify issues important to them and design messages/solutions.
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High school students engaged
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High schools
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High school students
Years 7-
Prizes awarded for entries
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Achievements to date
Students & Teachers Love Youth Voices …
“I’d like to thank the Prevention
Education and Research Unit
(PERU) for recognising the need
for innovative strategies to
spread health and wellbeing
information.
Thank you for empowering the
youth of Sydney to have a voice
during the pandemic”
“The partnership and the relationship between SALSA and the Giants is very important. Students have that frame of mind where it’s not just about me, it’s about how can I benefit the community and work with everyone around me.”
“SALSA gives students the opportunity to voice their opinion to actually take on what they are learning and be confident enough to express their views and the knowledge gained through the program, to other students.”
“After so many years, we see the need and inherent value of the SALSA program throughout the school. In a school where 25% of the students live in homes of considerable poverty and 200 of the 1125 students have health plans for chronic poor health, a health strategy of this kind is a powerful opportunity to change health and life outcomes for those students, for all students”
“SALSA has given peer leaders interpersonal skills to work in different groups, and strengthened the value to live healthy lifestyles. The program is a positive avenue for students to learn through creativity and practice.”
“The SALSA program has helped open channels of communication between younger and older students, as well as between students and teachers on not only health topics covered in this course, but also a much broader range of areas across all dimensions of health.”
“I think it’s a very neat model where you’re not just saying to students sit back and listen, and I’ll tell you all about it. We’re saying this is for you to be active – active in your learning, active in managing your lifestyle … but also active in giving the message more broadly to family and friends.”
“Seeing disadvantaged areas of Sydney that I wouldn’t be exposed to during my studies has been really beneficial for my career, and it’s been a real privilege to be involved in the SALSA Program.“
“At a time when western Sydney is experiencing a diabetes epidemic, the SALSA program‘s ability to contact so many young lives and reach into families couldn’t be more significant. Simply telling someone to do something rarely leads to sustained change”.
“I’m 13 years old. I’ve done the SALSA Program at school. I really enjoyed playing soccer and basketball with the Year 10 mentors, and it made me want to be active.“
“The SALSA Program is important because it teaches students leadership skills as it allows them to learn how to teach and allows them to experience and learn more about health through actually teaching, which is a good way to learn.”
“I’ve found being involved in the SALSA Program this year has increased my self confidence and motivated me to act as a role model and lead by example in attempting to influence younger students’ lifestyle habits.”
Let’s Partner To Give Students A Voice
Contact us to learn more about our empowerment programs that give students a voice to create supportive environments in their school community.
