National Youth Week
National Youth Week 2008 will be celebrated throughout Australia from Saturday 5 April to Sunday 13 April 2008. This year’s theme is Shout. Share. Live. Unite. and aims to encourage young people to get involved and celebrate their contributions and achievements. The annual week-long event has been part of the Territory’s youth calendar since 2000 when it became a national initiative for all young Australians aged 12 to 25 years.
The Office of Youth Affairs (OYA) in the Department of the Chief Minister manages National Youth Week in the NT. The role of OYA is to facilitate opportunities for young Territorians and identify possible linkages. To promote National Youth Week, OYA encourages other Government agencies, middle schools and high schools, community organizations and the corporate sector to independently fund and run activities during National Youth Week. Despite coinciding with school holidays, principals and students may like to consider being involved by holding early celebrations or post Youth Week events.
In the NT, there will be a whole range of activities including the Small Day In open air music concert in Alice Springs, a Mini Olympics and Pop Performance Challenge in Darwin, Come and Swim Days at Oenpelli and the Eylandt Battle of the Bands in Groote Eylandt, a Cinema Night in Katherine, The Bazaar music concert in Palmerston - just to name a few!
To find out about what is happening in your area, log onto the Office of Youth Affairs website www.youth.nt.gov.au or contact Megan McQuillan on 8999 3886 or email megan.mcquillan@nt.gov.au. Those who wish to participate in the week’s events are encouraged to register their activities with OYA through this website. The information you provide will become public information made available from the Northern Territory’s youth website and the Australian Government’s website www.youthweek.com.