Catalyst Youth Summit 2021

On 4 September MYAN WA ran its third Catalyst Youth Summit. Twenty multicultural young people aged 18-25 came together to present on topics that ranged from mental health, access to opportunities, discrimination, and sense of belonging. Key dignitaries including the Minister for Youth and the Director General at the Department of Communities attended to view the delegate presentations. The findings and solutions raised will be presented in a Catalyst report in October.

Youth Sector Grants Scheme - Open Now

YACWA's Youth Sector Grants Scheme, supported by Lotterywest is now open to funding requests between $2,000 - $10,000 for organisations, collectives and community groups working with young people seeking to bolster their existing activities. This is an exciting opportunity for youth services to increase their organisational capacity, reinvigorate interrupted programs, deepen youth engagement and improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for young people (aged 10 - 25 years) in Western Australia.

Applications close 5 PM Monday, 11 October 2021.

State of the Youth Sector Forum 2021

The State of the Youth Sector Forum is YACWA's annual gathering of over 70 frontline youth workers, service managers, young people, executives and government. With a focus on networking, problem-solving and future-proofing in our youth sector, this Forum is the yearly temperature check where we explore the strengths, challenges and innovations happening in our sector, and work together to map out our priorities to create an equitable future for young people and the industry that supports them. This year, YACWA is breaking down silos of service delivery, identifying the gaps workers are seeing on the ground, and working out what Western Australia needs to improve the wellbeing, opportunities and security of our state's most vulnerable young people. YACWA is also excited to announce that it will be joined at the Forum by a number of State Members of Parliament to join in on discussions towards the latter part of the day as a crucial part of efforts to implement collective solutions enhancing youth service delivery in Western Australia.

Youth Mental Health & AOD Workshop - 'Psychosocial Support Packages' Service
The MHC has asked the Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA) to work with young people aged 16 to 25 to design what a Youth Psychosocial Support Package could look like. This program was a 2021 Election Commitment. The Youth Psychosocial Support Package, will provide resources to young people with mental health and AOD challenges living in the community (e.g. independently, with friends or  in the family home) and provide supports to young people and their families (when needed) in their social and work lives. YACWA want your opinion on how we can make this service the best it can be for young people. By attending, you will make a positive difference in the way our state provides mental health support to young people like yourself. You will also be paid $100 EFTPOS gift card to thank you for your time.

When: 12 PM - 3 PM Tuesday, 5 October 2021
Where: Foyer Oxford, 196 Oxford Street, Leederville

City of Canning Youth Engagement Forum
Are you aged 12 to 25 and live, work, study, volunteer or spend time in the City of Canning?  Do you want to change the world? Or maybe make a difference in the City of Canning? Then this event is for you! At this forum, you will meet like minded young change-makers, talk directly to key City staff about your ideas and create pathways for young people to have a voice in the City of Canning. Free food and drinks, door prize of a $50 EFTPOS gift card, and certificate available for participants.

When: 5 PM - 7.30 PM Tuesday, 12 October 2021
Where: Riverton Library Maker Space, 67 Riley Road, Riverton

Get Out & Vote: Be a Vocal Local
Did you know that young people aged 18 to 25 are least likely to vote in Local Government elections? Yet, the decisions made at this level have significant impact on our day to day lives from our local libraries, pools, sport and rec centres, skate parks, BMX tracks, youth centres, parks, recycling and waste management, environmental conservation and more! Don't know what the candidate represents? Then check out what they stand for on your local government website, or give them a call and have a chat? Ask them about the issues that matter to you. Voting is easy! If you are enrolled to vote, you will get a ballot in the mail. Fill it out and return it before the closing date! Or you can vote in person on Saturday 16th of October. If you are a local government, YACWA have created tiles you can use on social media – please contact lianda@yacwa.org.au for copies of these. If you are a member of YACWA, we will even put your logo on it for you to use! Please share this widely! Let’s get the Youth Vote out at these elections and get youth issues on the agenda of local government!

New training: Involving young people in community groups and committees
YACWA has developed a new training, ideal for local government authorities who want to support their community groups and resident organisations to recruit and support younger members. This 2 1/2 hour workshop covers the benefits and challenges of involving young people, what motivates them to get involved, how to develop a youth-friendly culture, how to reach out to young people and what practical things you need to consider to support meaningful youth participation. This workshop is co-facilitated with young people and includes a youth panel and case studies. One local government said: "We’ve been raving about what a fabulous session it was. It was great to have some really original content, beautifully crafted and presented. I have actually attended a few community meetings and heard people speak of some of the learnings from that night". For more information, or to get a quote contact Lianda on 9227 5440 or lianda@yacwa.org.au.

Workshops & events

 Kaleidoscope Job Readiness Workshop Series for Migrant Women - Essentials

Kaleidoscope Job Readiness Workshop Series for migrant women is a workshop series designed to improve the employability skills of migrant women who have been affected by COVID-19. The following topics will be covered in the job readiness workshops: developing your networking skills; career strategy; resumes; cover letters; interview skills; Australian workplace culture; LinkedIn for job searching; wellness and family and work planning. Registrations close Tuesday, 5 October 2021.

When: Monday, 11 October 2021 – Friday, 15 October 2021, 8:45 AM – 2:30 PM 

Where: Bill Cole Centre Room 5, Riverton Leisureplex, 67 Riley Road Riverton, WA 6148

Youth Futures Summit

The Youth Futures Summit is a virtual event that brings together thousands of diverse people across multiple sectors and communities to re-imagine the biggest challenges and systems impacting young people, and the rest of Australia.

The Youth Futures Summit will:

• Draw together thousands of people from multiple sectors and communities that are reflective of the diversity of cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs that make up all of Australia
• Be co-presented, co-attended and shaped by young people
• Deep-dive into the challenges and identify what the solutions should be
• Explore a number of different areas from climate change, youth mental health, jobs for the future, diversity in Australia and more. 

When: 5 - 7 April 2022
Where: Virtual

Resources and Supports

Find My Family - Afghanistan Crisis Assistance

The Australian Red Cross program Find My Family: Restoring Family Links (RFL) assists with tracing family members and finding missing loved ones. If you have lost contact with family as a result of the crisis in Afghanistan, please call the Red Cross hotline on 1800 875 199 between 5 AM to 1 PM or email tracing@redcross.org.au If your family member has been detained in Afghanistan, Red Cross can collect an enquiry but given the current situation, it cannot be followed immediately. Unfortunately, the Restoring Family Links team cannot provide support on the ground for people at risk in Afghanistan, and cannot register family or friends with whom you are currently in contact.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you are not eligible for Medicare

Everyone 12 years and older can book a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is free for everyone, regardless of your visa status or Medicare eligibility. If you don’t have a Medicare card, or are not eligible for Medicare, you can get your free vaccination at a Commonwealth vaccination clinic, a state or territory vaccination clinic and community pharmacies that are administering COVID-19 vaccines. If you are not eligible for Medicare, GPs can still supply COVID-19 vaccines to you and the vaccine will be delivered free of charge. If you do not have a Medicare card, or are not eligible for Medicare, you can get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations online. You can get an immunisation history statement which shows a record of all the vaccines you have had that are recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. You can get a COVID-19 digital certificate which only shows your COVID-19 vaccinations. You will be able to see your digital certificate after you have had all required doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

National Coronavirus Helpline – CaLD priority service

A priority service within  the National Coronavirus Helpline has b een established to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse people have access to relevant information and assistance with finding vaccine appointments. Helpline call agents can provide COVID-19 information and help callers book their vaccination appointment. Translated resources can be sent to callers after the call by SMS in their language. Culturally and linguistically diverse people seeking to access this service should contact Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National on 131 450 and ask to be connected to the National Coronavirus Helpline. You can reach the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080.

COVID health resources for WA's CaLD communities

WA Health has developed a range of video and social media tiles to promote COVID-safe behaviours and COVID vaccination to WA’s CALD communities. The resources feature WA healthcare workers and community leaders delivering COVID health messaging in English and in other languages.

The videos are available on the DoH Youtube channel.

The social media tiles and other resources are available on the Health WA website.

Opportunities

Child and Adolescent Health Service - Youth Advisory Council Vacancies

FECCA along with the Federal Government and other organisations is calling out applications for CALD COVID-19 Health Small Grants Fund. This Fund will help multicultural community groups to lead grassroots communication activities around COVID-19 and the vaccination rollout, targeting CALD communities. FECCA will administer grants of $2500, $3500 or $5000 to groups or organisations to fund short-term, one-off communication and outreach projects that address barriers to accessing information on COVID-19 and the vaccination program in CALD communities; give communities the opportunity for communities to identify and respond to issues and concerns surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccination program; provide accurate and culturally relevant information on the COVID-19 vaccination program; foster community involvement and participation; and encourage partnerships among community organisations.

Community Grants Program assessment panel

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is offering grants of $2000 to support community-led diversity and inclusion activities celebrating Harmony Week in 2022. Activities with a focus on culture and arts, and sport and active recreation are also encouraged. Harmony Week grants are open to not-for-profit organisations based in WA and associations operating under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 based in Western Australia.

Applications close at 4 PM Monday, 4 October 2021.

MYAN WA e-News 
If you would like any of your events, programs, services, or projects that are relevant to refugee or migrant young people and the sector that supports them shared in the MYAN WA newsletters or Facebook page, please send it through to myanwa@yacwa.org.au

MYAN WA acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this land. We are situated on the land of the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation and pay our respects to their Elders: past, present and emerging.