Youth Engage and Empower Project

The Shire of Manjimup is about to start the Youth Engage and Empower Project, which aims to support youth mental health and resilience, assist youth to develop a sense of community belonging and engagement, develop leadership and life skills and support the development of the local youth services sector. The project is made possible by grant funding from Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal Tackling Tough Times Together ($60,000), and the Criminal Property Confiscation Grants Program ($95,053), and $41,074 from the Shire of Manjimup.

Shire President Paul Omodei is enthusiastic about the project “Engage and Empower is a collaborative project aimed at supporting youth in maintaining good mental health, a sense of belonging in their community, a positive view for the future, and the tools to achieve their goals and desires. The project will support, encourage, engage and empower youth through a staged approach, he said.

The first stage of the project is aimed at understanding the current and emerging demographics and dynamics of young people within the Shire of Manjimup, in particular the CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) and First Nations community as well as youth who are on the fringe of the community and educational disassociation or beginning to display anti-social behaviour. The second stage seeks to support youth groups within the Shire of Manjimup with their operations, ongoing sustainability and engagement with youth. The third stage builds on the first two stages by encouraging youth to be more engaged in their community and develop their leadership skills. The fourth and final stage will take into account the results of the previous stages to map the diverse and multicultural nature of our (young) community and to develop a holistic community wellbeing plan to guide future youth and community development post the project period.

The project is a collaboration between the Shire of Manjimup, youth groups, schools and youth agencies. The project focuses on young people from the age of 12 upwards to 25 years old within the Shire of Manjimup. The project will be undertaken over two years, from July 2021 till June 2023, led by a full time project facilitator for which recruitment will commence soon.

“The need to improve youth wellbeing and engagement within the Shire of Manjimup has been evident for a number of years. The breadth and complexity of issues and opportunities around empowering and engaging young people are significant. To achieve the intended outcome of this project there is a need for a focused effort on youth engagement and empowerment”, added Cr Omodei

-ENDS-

Authourised by Brian Robinson, Acting Chief Executive Officer
Contact Sheri Laba, Public Relations Officer

Contact for Comment: Paul Omodei, Shire President
Contact: 0448 810 773