Part of Things is a gathering place and ideas hub for young people in Barmera in the Riverland region of South Australia. They used a $10,000 FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grant to adopt and adapt their own version of the Skillin’ It project idea that was developed at the 2020 Heywire Regional Youth Summit. 

Riverland Skillin’ It was a 12-month project that brought together a leadership ‘squad’ of four local young people from across the Renmark Paringa, Loxton Waikerie and Berri Barmera local government areas to create a series of online and live workshops aimed at inspiring, connecting and upskilling young people. 

Despite being impacted by the uncertainties of COVID, including a full lockdown in June 2021, the project culminated in the Skillin’ It squad members curating and delivering Symposium – a two-day festival in September 2021 for local young people aged 18 to 26. Held in Barmera, Symposium featured in-person workshops to support participants develop small business, creative and life skills, while also encouraging knowledge sharing between individuals and community members. 

Across the life of the project, the Skillin’ It squad and festival presenters were actively mentored and supported by Part of Things founder and project mentor, Alysha Herrmann, who is an award-winning producer, youth arts worker and ‘doer’ who has been delivering community, arts and youth projects of varying scale across regional South Australia for over ten years. 

Kelsey Hogan from the Barmera District War Memorial Community Centre, which auspiced the application on behalf of Part of Things, said Riverland Skillin’ It was instrumental in providing a dedicated project with intensive and tailored mentoring for local young people to connect with each other and their community. 

“Young people are under-represented in leadership and decision making across the Riverland. This project has developed positive relationships between young adults and their community and provided a safe space for people to connect, develop confidence, try something new and community build,” Ms Hogan said. 

“We can’t plug all the gaps and overcome the challenges our region presents for young people. However, what we have done with Riverland Skillin’ It, is invest in a core group of local young people to ensure that they were able to successfully deliver a project for their community and now feel inspired, supported and ready to make greater things happen for themselves and others.” 

Together they were able to leverage the success of the Heywire grant to partner with all three Riverland councils, and attracted an additional $22,100 of funding. This increased the resources available for the project and added additional paid opportunities for the young people who participated, and also removed fees for participants to attend the final festival workshop weekend. 

A legacy of the project is The Knowledge Hub, an online resource housed on the Part of Things website that features downloadable resources, curated links, blog posts and other content, which exists to share and build ideas, skills and knowledge across a range of genres, disciplines and interest areas.

Grants on offer to address issues that matter to young rural Australians

Grants of up to $10,000 are now open for local community groups that will help fund projects developed by youth and for youth. Adopting and adapting these projects will help create positive change by addressing priority issues such as career options, peer support, diversity and discrimination and mental health, which impact youth in rural communities.

Since 2013, the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program has supported remote, rural and regional youth to address issues that matter most to them. This year, thanks to the generosity of FRRR’s partners,  $130,000 is available nationally, and $30,000 is available specifically for grants in or around the Shepparton region.

This year’s grant program ideas have come from the ABC’s Takeover Shepparton event in May. It brought together 44 young leaders from in and around Shepparton to share stories and workshop ideas on how to make rural and regional Australia a better place for young people to live and work.

The ideas they developed include:

• The Allies Project: How might we celebrate the strength of regional LGBTQIA+ people and educate rural communities on the importance of being an ally?
• Hands on Learning: How might we support young people to learn in ways that work for them?
• Take Care: How might we promote healthier communities in regional Australia?
• SPIN – Supporting People In Need: How might we improve morale in regional communities?
• Triple H- Humanity Helping Homelessness: How might we reduce homelessness and support people who are experiencing it?
• Fusion Festival: How might we raise cultural awareness and stop racism in regional communities?

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said that young people always bring so much to the table, giving current issues a whole new perspective.

“I congratulate the ABC for running such a powerful event, where young people’s voices and ideas were able to shine and be celebrated. These incredible young people brought so much energy and heart to the table, and some fantastic ideas to address issues they face, which will no doubt be common to younger people all across the country.

“Thanks to our donor partners, we look forward to helping local community groups to adapt and adopt these ideas and bring them to life around the country. If you’re a local community group, I encourage you to reach out to your young locals and ask which of these ideas will help make a meaningful change for them. I look forward to reading the applications,” says FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton.

This is the 10th year of the partnership between FRRR and the ABC to run the Heywire Youth Innovation Grants.

“We’re proud to be working with FRRR to once again bring a set of incredible ideas to life, supporting regional communities to back their young people,” says Judith Whelan, ABC Director, Regional and Local. “We’re excited to see where these ideas go and to tell those stories through the ABC.”

To date, more than $1.2 million in community and philanthropic investment has helped to fund more than 150 projects in more than 130 communities. The program is possible thanks to the generous support of FRRR’s donor partners, including The Sally Foundation, Findex Community Fund, David Mactaggart Foundation, Greater Shepparton Foundation, The Collie Foundation and private donors.

Applications close Monday, 18 July 2022 and recipients will be announced in October. More information is available on FRRR’s website.

$208,000 in grants awarded to 23 projects

Twenty-three projects in remote, rural and regional Australia have been awarded grants through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program to bring to life ideas developed at the Heywire Youth Ideas lab. These projects will tackle a range of issues such as discrimination, youth-led peer support, multigenerational connection, mental health and career opportunities for young people.

These grants will mean that community organisations and local not-for-profits can implement community-led initiatives that will have a lasting impact.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said she is impressed by how all those connected with the program managed to pivot to respond to COVID-19 conditions.

“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ABC was unable to hold the usual Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra. Instead, they adapted and ran the first Heywire Youth Ideas Lab in Broken Hill. The determination of the young people of Broken Hill, and their willingness to make a difference inspired these projects, which will create meaningful change when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, skills development and equality in our remote, rural and regional towns.

“These grants highlight the importance of both providing support on the ground and ensuring that young people are driving the conversation about their priorities. These community-led initiatives, which all involve young people, will facilitate events, training and mentorship that will bring people together and ensure that our remote, rural and regional communities continue to thrive,” Ms Egleton said.

Youth Ideas Lab participant Emerson said that she feels proud to have been a part of a program that will make a difference for so many Australians.

“When we were telling our stories and developing our ideas at the Youth Ideas Lab, it was such an inspiring experience, but it was difficult to imagine our ideas actually being put into practice. Now, hearing and reading about all the wonderful projects that are going to actually happen because of the ideas that we brought to the table is amazing!”

The involvement of young people also extended to the assessment of the applications. For the last three years, the FRRR Program Advisory Committee, which reviews the assessments made by staff and recommends grants to FRRR’s Board, has been made up of former Heywire participants. The group learns about committee processes and governance, before participating in the assessment committee. FRRR directors, staff and some donors are on-hand with ABC staff to provide support. This is a deliberate approach to continue to invest in young people, so they can play an ongoing role in strengthening their communities.

Some of the 23 projects being funded are listed below:

• CareSouth Deniliquin in Deniliquin, NSW, received $5,080 to develop the Support Squad idea bycreating a youth peer support network that will run an art therapy mentoring program.
• Nganmarriyanga School Council Incorporated in Nganmarriyanga, NT, received $10,000 to develop the Open Field Fest idea by developing students’ creative skills with song writing workshops that showcase community, culture and language.
• Heal.ed Tribe in Coombabah, QLD, received $5,400 to develop the Contribute to the Change ideaby supporting young women with a lived experience of an eating disorder to share their story and reduce the stigma surrounding it.
• Umeewarra Aboriginal Media Association in Port Augusta, SA, received $10,000 to develop the Open Field Fest idea by growing the number of young first nations artists participating in music festivals in Port Augusta through a skills development program.
• Beacon Foundation in Hobart, TAS, received $9,640 to develop the Discover your Future idea by encouraging secondary school students to adopt an entrepreneur mindset with a program to imagine, design and develop new businesses and products.
• Youth Live 4 Life in Maryborough, VIC, received $10,000 to develop the Contribute to the Change ideaby developing a network of youth who are trained in mental health first aid and knowledgeable about the support services available to them.
• Derby District High School in Derby, WA, received $10,000 to develop the Discover your Future idea by developing youth skills in horsemanship to broaden their career aspirations and provide a pathway into the pastoral industry.

The grants are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Sally Foundation, Erdi Foundation, Findex Community Fund, David Mactaggart Foundation, MaiTri Foundation as well as several private donors.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Students Against Racism (SAR) is a youth organisation based in Hobart, Tasmania. They believe that ‘in diversity lies strength’ and they seek to build a stronger more welcoming and supportive community by sharing stories and addressing misconceptions.

It was formed in 2008 by multicultural youth with lived experience in just how damaging direct acts of racism from their community can be. Recognising that ignorance was a big part of these acts, they sought to change the way their community saw people from different cultures through the path of education.

For over a decade SAR have developed and delivered integral and multi award-winning learning tools that have since been incorporated into various organisations – including schools and community groups, the Tasmanian police recruit training program and a number of TasTAFE courses. A part of these programs involves teaching participants about the issues and challenges facing multicultural youth who are new to the Tasmanian community. 

As the proud recipients of a $7400 grant from FRRR’s HEYWIRE program, supported by the Sally Foundation, SAR attended the 2019 HEYWIRE Conference and made some long-lasting and vital connections that have since flourished into a greatly beneficial foundation for interstate learning. 

The funding allowed 18 SAR representatives from various cultural backgrounds to travel from Hobart to Bendigo and present their flagship educational anti-racism program ‘Living in Between’ to 110 local youth at Eaglehawk Secondary College in the Bendigo region. The workshop involved presentations, small group work, activities and training, and allowed a safe environment to ask questions in order to foster understanding and compassion for those with multicultural backgrounds.

“The program gives the students the platform to explain why they left their homelands, the journey that brought them to Australia, and their lives now.”

Seeing the deep-seated impact that the SAR representatives could make via their anti-racism program, the students and youth from the Bendigo region indicated that were inspired to hold their own similar workshop and have since done so with great effect. 

Through delivering this invaluable program, the youth of SAR have significantly gained self-confidence, increased teamwork and support, and have fostered deeper connections not just within their group but with the greater community. Helen Hortle who has been integral in the coordination of the educational adventure is pleased as punch with the outcome.

“It has been a fantastic experience for young members of SAR – one that wouldn’t have been possible without FRRR funding and support. Thank you!”

Wiradjuri Country

The transition from teenager into adulthood is widely acknowledged as a tough one. As we leave behind childhood and enter our formative years, a greater sense of responsibility, identity and independence can be extremely overwhelming for some. For those living in remote, rural, and regional Australia, this new life-stage can be even more daunting, especially as many young people are forced to move out of familiar environments to further their education or find employment.

Wagga Wagga, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, currently has around 11,800 young people living in the area. While Wagga Wagga has a lot to offer its younger residents, from education to a vast range of sporting clubs, the youth unemployment rate sits at 11.6% (2016 Census data).

With a large portion of the population transitioning from adolescence into adulthood, headspace Wagga Wagga wanted to help make the process a bit easier.

Partnering with local organisation Youth Reference Group (YRG), headspace Wagga Wagga developed a program called “Adulting”, based on an idea developed at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit. The YRG is an active group of individuals aged between 16-25 who dedicate their time to issues that impact young people’s mental health. Through a mix of brainstorming and lived experience, the group was able to identify 10 aspects of adult life they wished they knew more about before they had to deal with the issues. The list included the voting process, understanding tax and superannuation, the maintenance of rental properties (including cleaning), organising healthcare (both private and public), the job interview process and making important appointments.

Using a $7,000 FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation grant, funded by The Sally Foundation, headspace Wagga Wagga and YRG were able to hire a videographer to help produce a video for each topic, which was then distributed on social media.

The videos were released over 10 weeks, via a Facebook page moderated by the YRG team. The “Adulting” videos reached 500 young people who now have resources to build practical life skills.

At the end of the program, the “Hindsight Project” took place for the ten young people who were instrumental in creating and curating the content. This provided an opportunity for reflection and discussion about the project and also a chance for networking.

COVID-19 restrictions made promoting the videos and authentic engagement with the content challenging. However, with the content still online and available for those who need it, the videos will continue to reach young people and provide them with tips and advice for their big move into adulthood.

The Sally Foundation Trailblazers Development Fund has awarded grants totalling $26,650 to support six youth-led initiatives that address the needs of remote, rural and regional communities in Australia.

Trailblazers are invited to apply for funds to help them to take their project ideas to the next level, or for personal development opportunities to build their skills and networks and boost their capacity to strengthen their community.

Joanna Kemp, FRRR’s Philanthropic Services Manager, said:

“The Trailblazers program builds the capacity of young people that have come through the ABC Heywire program by activating their ideas and vision for a vital and vibrant remote, rural and regional Australia.

“As an initiative of the Sally Foundation, and supported by the ABC, the Trailblazers program has shown to be an important stepping stone for the young people involved to achieve and exceed their goals within their communities, it’s a great opportunity for them to gain confidence in applying for and delivering a grant,” Ms Kemp said.

$175,000 available to bring youth-led initiatives to life

FRRR is inviting remote, rural and regional community groups apply for grants of up to $10,000 to help fund projects that provide innovative solutions to five priority issues identified by participants at the inaugural Heywire Youth Ideas Lab, held recently in Broken Hill.

Since 2013, the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program has supported remote, rural and regional youth to address issues that matter most to them. To date, more than $1 million in community and philanthropic investment has helped to fund more than 130 projects in over 160 communities.

This year, due to COVID-19, the ABC needed to pivot their approach to how the ideas were generated. Typically, they come from the annual Heywire Youth Summit in Canberra, but instead, over three days 27 young local leaders from Broken Hill and surrounding regions came together. Broken Hill was chosen as the host town because it had the most entries in the annual Heywire story-telling competition. The young leaders learnt new skills, shared their stories, and workshopped ideas to help make rural and regional Australia an even better place for young people to live and work.

These ideas now form the basis of the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation grants, and include:

• Discover Your Future: Giving young people a chance to explore and learn more about their future career options.
• Open Field Fest: Bringing music, art and people together to help create a community-run music and arts festival.
• Support Squad: Training young leaders to provide support, knowledge and companionship to peers who may be struggling with a variety of challenges.
• The Story Link Project: Tackling discrimination through sharing diverse stories that help people within regional communities understand the impact of discriminatory language.
• Contribute to the Change: Helping young people improve their mental health knowledge and understanding, so they are confident to seek the help they need.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said each year she is impressed by the ideas that Heywirers bring to the table, and this year is no exception.

“The five ideas developed by Broken Hill’s young people are insightful and meaningful and provide a snapshot of the issues currently faced by young rural people across Australia. The beauty of the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants is that they fund projects driven by these young Australians’ ideas.

“We encourage community groups to engage with local youth when considering which idea to adopt and adapt. These capable young leaders understand local context and can help adapt an idea to best suit the priorities of local youth and assist in leading a meaningful project that will make their community more inviting and inspiring for other young people to live and work,” Ms Egleton said.

Youth Ideas Lab and Heywire participant Ashlyn speaks of how proud she is of herself and her Broken Hill community for coming up with the five ideas which were designed to combat challenges they themselves have faced. 

“The Youth Ideas Lab was such an incredible and inspiring experience. I’m so glad our Broken Hill community was given the opportunity to come up with these ideas that will soon be turned into realities. These ideas were formed by our unique experiences; now it’s your chance to take them on in your own community. I can’t wait to see where they go and how they grow!”

This program is possible thanks to the generous support of FRRR’s donor partners, including The Sally Foundation, Erdi Foundation, Findex Community Fund, David Mactaggart Foundation, and private donors. This year, thanks to their generosity, $175,000 in grants is available.

Applications close Thursday, 19 August 2021 and recipients will be announced in early November. More information is available here.

24 projects funded that will bring young rural Australians’ ideas to life

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has awarded $185,855 in grants for 24 community-led projects that will help tackle the real, and at times confronting, issues faced by young Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas of the country.

Funded through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program, these grants will support local community groups to adopt, adapt and implement one of six ideas that were developed by 55 young leaders who attended the 2020 ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit. These ideas address the most pressing issues facing young Australians, including the environment and climate change, cultural inclusivity and diversity, access to education and shared spaces, and career pathways in agriculture.

Now in its eighth year, the Youth Innovation Grants are usually announced at an event hosted by the ABC. This year, due to COVID-19, community groups were awarded their grants at a virtual awards ceremony earlier this afternoon.

The 24 projects will support young people in rural communities throughout Australia, ranging from as far north as Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, to Sippy Downs in Queensland, Orange in New South Wales, Golden Square in Victoria and Hobart in Tasmania, across to Karoonda in South Australia, and as far west as Geraldton in Western Australia.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that although each place has its unique challenges, these grants show that there are common themes and concerns among young people throughout rural Australia.

“We’ve been heartened to see such an impressive response from rural communities wanting to address these six ideas and implement them in ways that are relevant and meaningful to the young people in their own community.

“We are inspired by the work that the ABC does to help shine a light on the issues affecting young people and thank our donor partners for their continued support. It’s through these partnerships that FRRR is able to support communities and their young leaders to come up with ideas and solutions that empower them to forge their own future,” Ms Egleton said.

ABC Director, Regional and Local, Judith Whelan, said that these young leaders and their ideas demonstrate the strength and resilience of Australia’s rural and regional communities.

“Heywire is a fantastic demonstration of the ingenuity of our young people and, thanks to the support of FRRR and its donor partners, we can help bring their inspiring ideas to life. It’s clear from this year’s Heywire ideas and Youth Innovation Grants that Australia’s future is in good hands.” Ms Whelan said.

2020 Heywire Winner, Sam Kane, from Golden Square, Victoria, was one of the young leaders that developed Skillin’ It – a locally-driven initiative that enables knowledge-sharing between individuals and community organisations to build skills that young people are keen to learn about.

“I’m thrilled that Skillin’ It, an idea that our group of 6 young people developed while at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit, is now being piloted in my local community in Central Victoria.

“To be part of this project from the brainstorming, to it now being implemented in my community with a partner organisation, means a lot to me – and shows just how far one idea can go,” Mr Kane said.

Some of the other projects inspired by the six Heywire Youth Innovation Grants ideas are:

• Centralian Senior College, in Alice Springs, NT received $10,000 to adapt the Filling The Gap idea by providing Alice Springs youth with the opportunity and platform to Fill the Gap in education by telling local Indigenous stories, to be incorporated in local curriculum and promoted throughout the community.
• City of Albany, WA received $9,038 to adapt the Green Book idea by promoting grassroots environmental activities through the delivery and filming of five hands-on environmental workshops that will be released at Albany Sustainability Festival and through schools.
• Towri Aboriginal Corporation in Bathurst, NSW received $10,000 to adapt the L.E.D. (Let’s Embrace Diversity) idea by celebrating the rich culture and history that Aboriginal people have to offer by enabling local youth to lead local education.
• Northern Gulf Resource Management Group in Dimbulah, QLD received $9,979 to adapt the We Need Farmers idea by developing relevant local educational resources for schools in the Northern Gulf Region through the creation of three, youth-created farming documentaries.
• Yarram Neighbourhood House, VIC received $10,000 to adapt the Skillin’ It idea by cultivating youth skills in project planning, hospitality and horticultural skills through the establishment and delivery of a foodbank and community garden program.
• Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tas) in Hobart, TAS received $10,000 to adapt the Filling the Gap idea by empowering young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to educate the wider community about their culture and histories.
• Stand Like Stone Foundation in Mount Gambier, SA received $10,000 to adapt the Just Relax idea by promoting understanding about life with disability across area schools by the delivery of a hands-on, educational program.

To date, through $1.2 million in community and philanthropic investment, including the support of a number of donors, such as The Sally Foundation and the David Mactaggart Foundation, the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants have helped to implement around 100 youth-developed projects in more than 160 communities.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Jump to: Filling the Gap | Green Book | Just Relax | L.E.D. | Skillin’ It | We Need Farmers

Organisation	Project	Location	Grant
Filling the Gap
Centralian Senior College	Provide Alice Springs youth with the opportunity and platform to Fill the Gap in education by telling local Indigenous stories, to be incorporated in local curriculum and promoted throughout the community.	Alice Springs, NT	$10,000
Chancellor State College	Enrich the education of Chancellor State College and empower young people by providing a number of excursions and workshops, where students can learn about diverse cultures, and share their learnings with the student body.	Sippy Downs, QLD	$9,740
Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tas) Inc	Empower young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to educate the wider community about their culture and histories.	Hobart, TAS	$10,000
Green Book
Snowy Mountains Grammar School Limited	Increase access to environmental education and empower young people to spread environmental messages through workshops and blogs.	Jindabyne, NSW	$2,880
Alice Springs Town Council	Provide access to youth education on environmental actions and host a youth-led climate change seminar featuring environmental workshops.	Alice Springs, NT	$8,429
Bundaberg Regional Council	Upskill youth development action team to enable delivery of hands on environmental activities and an educational awareness film event for youth.	Bundaberg, QLD	$10,000
Beechworth Secondary College Student Representative Committee Beechworth Secondary College	Rejuvenate edge of the Beechworth Secondary College school grounds to increase biodiversity in fire ravaged environment and create an outdoor classroom.	Beechworth, VIC	$9,600
City of Albany	Promote grassroots environmental activities through the delivery and filming of five hands-on environmental workshops that will be released at Albany Sustainability Festival and through schools.	Albany, WA	$9,038
headspace Geraldton Youth Focus Inc	Promote environmental awareness through participation in conservation works at a youth camp and delivery of local environmental solutions via video productions.	Geraldton, WA	$4,555
Just Relax
Youth Action Committee of Karoonda East Murray District Council of Karoonda East Murray	Improve disability access and road safety through the development of a concept plan to establish a safe walking / riding / wheelchair accessible pathway.	Karoonda, SA	$9,600
Just Relax: Let’s talk about (Dis)ability Stand Like Stone Foundation Ltd	Promote understanding about life with disability across area schools by the delivery of a hands-on, educational program.	Mount Gambier, SA	$10,000
L.E.D. (Let’s Embrace Diversity)
Towri Aboriginal Corporation	Celebrate the rich culture and history that Aboriginal people have to offer by enabling local youth to lead local education.	Bathurst, NSW	$10,000
Council of the City of Broken Hill	Celebrate diversity and empower local youth through a Colour Run #neonglow.	Broken Hill, NSW	$5,050
St Giles Society	Increase awareness of Tasmanian youth with a disability to enable visibility of life challenges and foster community-wide change.	Launceston, TAS	$9,000
Autism Support Network Albany Inc	Increase awareness and understanding of Autistic young people in the Albany community through the production of short videos.	Albany, WA	$617
Skillin’ It
Part of Things Barmera District War Memorial Community Centre Inc	Upskill youth through creation of a youth-led digital bank of workshops to be presented at an International Youth Day Festival.	Barmera, SA	$10,000
Glenhaven Family Care Inc	Build community resilience and increase opportunities for youth employment through workshops in job readiness training for youth.	Sheffield, TAS	$4,547
Jumpleads NFP Limited	Develop skills of ten young people through a mentoring program which will result in the completion of a community project.	Golden Square, VIC	$10,000
Yarram Neighbourhood House Inc	Cultivate youth skills in project planning, hospitality and horticultural skills through establishment and delivery of a foodbank and community garden program.	Yarram, VIC	$10,000
Boyup Brook Community Mental Health Action Team Inc	Increase access to learning opportunities via two 10 week ‘Skillin’ It’ programs for youth.	Boyup Brook, WA	$5,600
Shire of Collie	Support life skills development through provision of ‘Skillin’ It’ workshops for youth in Collie.	Collie, WA	$6,000
We Need Farmers
Bowraville Central School NSW Government Schools	Highlight opportunities in farming industries through creation of school resources by senior students and excursions to local farms.	Bowraville, NSW	$3,220
UCA – Kinross Woloroi School	Create an awareness of opportunities in agriculture via youth producing seven video documentaries and learning resources for primary schools in the region.	Orange, NSW	$8,000
Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd	Develop relevant local educational resources for schools in the Northern Gulf Region through the creation of three youth-created farming documentaries.	Dimbulah, QLD	$9,979

The Eden Game Development Centre in conjunction with the Eden Community Access Centre received a grant for $9,262 through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program. It was to deliver their version of the Heywire Step Up initiative to inspire disengaged young people to take the first step on their journey to success.

William Sharples, who led the development and implementation of the project, drew on his personal experience to inspire and motivate a team of young people to  facilitate the ‘Opportunity Youth Festival’, which was held in Eden in April 2019. Like many others in his community, William had tried to seek meaningful and enjoyable work, but living in a rural town, felt his opportunities were limited.

Discovering a passion for video game development and coding, along with the suport of a few key mentors meant William became more engaged. He has followed his dream and now runs the Eden Game Development Centre, teaching young people tech skills like coding, game development and virtual reality.

As a Heywire Trailblazer alumnus, William jumped at the chance to adopt and adapt the Step Up idea to create a fun event, featuring free food and great entertainment, to attract local young people. To ensure it resonated with local youth, he involved young people in the planning and execution of the day.

With so many people and local organisations putting in efforts to create opportunities for local young people, this was a great chance to showcase the opportunities in a fun and engaging manner to attract young people to investigate options available to them.

The theme of the festival was ‘opportunity’ and there was plenty of that to go around. Around 400 youth came from all over Eden and surrounding areas to spend a day showing off their talents, as well as learning about what the future might hold for them.     

Weeks of planning by the Youth Project Committee resulted in a spectacular day of fun and frivolity, including local youth bands and singers, displays from 35 services and sporting organisations, and plenty more activities.

Feedback was very positive, with participants and services asking if the event was going to be held again in 2020. In acquitting their report, Eden Community Access Centre said they found their greatest success (and challenge!) was letting youth ‘run the show’, with the Steering Committee merely facilitating their ideas and keeping the event safe and within budget.