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Youth Voices

Leadership and Action Days

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Inspiring Student Leadership

The aim of the SALSA Youth Voices program is to provide peer leaders with an opportunity to identify and develop an action at schools which will encourage all students to have access to healthy foods and engage in physical activity.

The program uses a strength-based approach and aims to further build leadership, communication and teamwork skills in students.

The program comprises two one-day workshops:

-Leadership day, held in term 3, where students identify and plan their action

-Action Day, held in term 4, where students present their actions at a forum of education and health professionals 

Partnerships

The cornerstone of SALSA Youth Voices is to offer leadership opportunities and a voice for students from varied and diverse backgrounds.

This program is designed for students to have an active role in creating supportive school environments.

The program is a unique coalition of health, education, and the Greater Western Sydney Giants who have strong investments to promote health in young people.

2020 Student Presentations

School Action Plans:

    1. 1.Roar:Turf 2 U – We love turfin’. To turf the ovals due to damage. This will improve safety and participation in sports & outdoor activities. (Rooty Hill High School)
  2. Painting handball court lines to provide students with increased access to physical activity facilities (Erskine Park HS)
  3. Due to COVID-19, schools were advised not to use public water sources like bubblers. So, the students created a fresh water bottle filling station to ensure students and staff had access to fresh water. (Nepean Creative & Performing Arts High School)

Rooty Hill HS

Turf 2 U

Erskine Park HS

Painted handball courts

Nepean CAPA HS

Water Refill Station

2023 Student Presentations

Glen Innes HS

Inter CLaN Sports Competition

Rooty Hill HS

Challenge Day

Model Farms HS

Smooth Steps

2022 Student Presentations

Rooty Hill HS

HOOPS4HOPE

Rouse Hill HS

Outdoor Gym

Erskine Park HS

Project Gym

Blacktown Girls HS

Colour Run Fruit Day

2020 Student Presentations

Rooty Hill HS

Turf 2 U

Erskine Park HS

Painted handball courts

Nepean CAPA HS

Water Refill Station

Check out Rooty Hill High School's student inspired school gym ...

2019 Student Presentations

Henry Kendall HS

Water Refill Station

Rooty Hill HS

Rooty Hill HS Gym

Colyton HS

Project D5 - school gym

Doonside Tech HS

S.A.L.T

Erskine Park HS

Putting Plans Into Action

2019 Student Presentations

School Action Plans:

  1.  The ‘Let’s Move at Lunch’ program included installing a water filter station near the school oval; and female students engaged a local vendor to design unisex sports shorts to inspire more girls to participate in physical activities. (Henry Kendall High School)
  2. To refurbish a school gym, with a focus on senior students and to increase female participation. (Rooty Hill High School)
  3. To upgrade the gym equipment and include equipment suitable for younger students. Even to decorate the gym with artwork by a local street artist! (Colyton HS)
  4.  SALT (Sports at Lunch Time) program. This included a weekly competition and access to sports equipment during lunch time. SALT inspired the formation of a female school volleyball team. (Doonside Technology HS)
  5. Two water filters were installed, and fruit snacks were sold at school to students which raised $150. A school water bottle is being designed and will be given out to encourage students to drink more water and reduce plastic waste. (Erskine Park HS)
henrykendall

Henry Kendall HS

Water Refill Station

Rooty Hill HS

Rooty Hill HS Gym

Colyton HS

Project D5 - school gym

Doonside Tech HS

S.A.L.T

Erskine Park HS

Putting Plans Into Action

Principals, teachers and participants have a lot to say about SALSA

“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.”
GWS Giants
GWS Giants
“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.”
Samir Abdelkrimi
Samir AbdelkrimiSALSA Co-ordinator, Colyton High School
“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”
Christine Cawsey AM
Christine Cawsey AMPrincipal Rooty Hill High School
"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."
Bernadette Corpuz
Bernadette CorpuzTeacher, Rooty Hill High School
"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."
Head PDHPE Teacher
Head PDHPE TeacherNepean High School
"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."
Emeritus Professor, Stephen Leeder
Emeritus Professor, Stephen LeederDirector Research Education Network, WSLHD
"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.“
Christina Roger
Christina RogerUni Student, University Of Sydney
“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”.
Dr Kean-Seng Lim
Dr Kean-Seng LimGP Mt Druitt and Past-President NSW AMA
"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.“
Joeline
JoelineYear 8 Student, Chifley College Mt Druitt
“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.”
Matthew
MatthewYear 10 Student, Model Farms High School
"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."
Christina Roger
Christina RogerUni Student, University Of Sydney
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