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. Development happens for all people at whatever stage of life they are at for young people the skills and attitudes they need to take part positively in society now and in the future, are all important. This process is supported by young people:

• having opportunities to make a positive contribution to society
• having supportive and caring connections with a range of groups and people
• feeling they can influence their own lives through choices and skills
• feeling good about who they are and what they can offer

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. Research showed that the common barriers for young people when accessing health care were cost, embarrassment, and perception of confidentiality. Dr Bagshaw felt that if health professionals could be educated about how to overcome these barriers, it would facilitate young people's access to health care. She felt that as this was about communication with young people then they should be involved in delivering the education.

In 1999 she recruited a group of young people who had experience either in peer drama education in schools or in delivering health services to young people. They had some initial training followed by further on the job training. Teaching has been 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.

Since then different groups of young people have taken up the challenge to be a Youth Tutor.

Young people wishing to become involved should email Sue Bagshaw on bagshaw@clear.net.nz