Fun mixed in with some serious conversations will again be in store for about 100 culturally and linguistically diverse Illawarra students this Friday.
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Day two of the 2016 Illawarra Multicultural Youth Conference (IMYC) will feature sporting activities and workshops designed to empower young people to make effective choices for their future.
The students played football, made badges and talked about issues such as relationships and the law, on September 9 at Five Islands Secondary College.
A similar program of workshops and activities will take place at the Port Kembla school on September 16.
Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) youth development project officer Anthony Scerri said students will have the opportunity to provide feedback on some of the issues affecting them, their families and communities.
He said the event, which started in 2005, was developed to provide CALD students with an opportunity to explore themes of social inclusion, settlement, identity and community.
“Many young people from CALD backgrounds have experienced disrupted education at some point in their process of seeking refuge,’’ Mr Scerri said.
“Upon enrolling in local high schools, and depending on what year level they have been assigned to, they often miss out on valuable life skills and important education to help them navigate their way through to adulthood.
“The conference equips CALD students with the resources they need to access support and services appropriate to their needs.’’
MCCI, Wollongong City Council and headspace Wollongong will run interactive workshops on personal wellbeing, healthy relationships, personal development and healthy lifestyle choices.
Over the years, the event has evolved into a series of workshops catering towards a more specific group of CALD students who have arrived in Australia within the last five years.
The conference aims to address the big issues worrying young people who have fled war-torn countries.
“They walk out with a better knowledge of those specific issues that we've targeted, and they walk away a little bit more hopeful about their futures,’’ Mr Scerri said.
The 2016 Illawarra Multicultural Youth Conference is a collaborative initiative organised by Navitas, Illawarra Multicultural Services, NSW Department of Education, Wollongong City Council's Youth Services and the Multicultural Youth Development Project (under the auspices of Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra). More details at www.mcci.org.au
