Positive Youth Development and the concepts around it expressed in the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa (YDSA) form the foundation of the Collaborative teaching programmes. Healthy development from childhood to adulthood occurs in the environments of family/whanau, school, peers and community and is aided by many factors which have been well discussed in the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa.
In order for all the environments to work together to provide optimal opportunity for healthy youth development to occur, skill is required. Parents, wider whanau, teachers, counselors, health professionals, social workers, police, youth workers, WINZ workers, employers, neighbours and young people themselves, all need to recognize and understand the way in which they can work together to create a society of healthy young people and adults. The Collaborative works to provide education and training to all those involved with young people as they develop.
The Collaborative has Memoranda and Letters of Agreement with Universities of Otago, Canterbury and the Canterbury District Health Board. We aim to work with these institutions to help them achieve excellence in research, training and services to assist the healthy development of young people. We also work with the Centre for Youth Health in Auckland in the areas of adolescent health education and training.
Youth Tutors is the name given to the group of young people who assist in training and informing research. Dr Sue Bagshaw first formed the group when she began to receive requests for teaching doctors and nurses around the South Island, about adolescent health.
In 1999 the first group of young people who had experience either in peer drama education in schools or in delivering health services to young people. Further groups are formed each year. They have some initial training followed by further on the job training. Teaching is on request and they have done no promotion. They have helped run 3 hour sessions and two day workshops, they have presented at conferences and they have spoken at women's health nights in the community about adolescent health and have worked with GP and other primary health care organizations around the South Island. They are involved in education approximately once every two or three months. Topics covered in education sessions have included youth development, mental and sexual health issues, parenting teenagers and risk and resiliency of young people. Helping to increase the communication skills of health professionals with young people has been a major part of the sessions.
Young people wishing to become involved should email Sue Bagshaw on bagshaw@clear.net.nz
