Deadly Vibes in Pt Augusta

VIBE Alive was held again in Port Augusta in 2009 with the largest ever crowd in attendance! Yes, that’s right, regsitrations for VIBE 09 had to be closed TWO WEEKS before kick off as the event was declared SOLD OUT! This is the first time on the VIBE Alive circuit that VIBE officials have had to

close registrations, even squeezing more than the capacity in to accommodate the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from students across South Australia! Deadly.

Over 1600 students registered for the 2 day event which consisted of a variety of events & workshops run by local businesses, volunteers and even a few key celebrities! The various sections of VIBE included:

Common Ground: where students learn about and participate in a range of traditional Aboriginal high-energy games such as Nanyima, Kalkadoon, Kee’an and Mer Kolap to name a few!

Good Vibrations: whether it’s a dance routine, singing or both, students score points by performing in front of a panel of celebrity judges who are looking for the most exciting performance! Students can either prepare a routine before the event or just get out there and freestyle!

 

Paint it Up:

this is where students get a chance to show off their creative flair! The session starts with a talk from a special guest Indigenous artist about the history of art and the styles of art that have been passed down through generations. Once students have been inspired they then work together to create a locally themed artwork, all materials are supplied, all the students have to do is turn up and get creative!

Our Culture: an interactive mix of story telling, dance and instrument playing, cooking, Q & A sessions and local arts and crafts, Elders take students on a fascinating cultural journey into traditions that are many thousands of years old!

Feel the Vibe: fast, funky and focussed on youth, this workshop features fun, hands-on activities to show students why staying away from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs helps you to look and feel good and get the most out of life.

Full On Future: A full education for a full-on future, but what does the future hold? Full On Future is VIBE Alive’s career expo where students can find out about all the options available once they finish school. There are representatives from education, training and industry to offer advice, information and answer all student questions.

Putting It Together: there was a special edition Deadly Vibe magazine filled with engaging games and competitions for teams to complete and submit at the festival. The magazine required literacy and numeracy skills to complete the many challenges which included word finds, puzzles, comprehension and treasure hunts.

NAIDOC Week 2009

The theme for NAIDOC Week in 2009 was “Honouring our Elders, Nurturing our Youth”. The theme encourages communities to acknowledge the status of our Indigenous elders as leaders and role models for the Youth.

The National Aboriginies and Islanders Day Observation Committee (NAIDOC), along with the Australian Government, encouraged communities across the country the embrace the theme of NAIDOC Week 2009 – and Port Pirie was no exception!

The 2 day celebration kicked off in Memorial Park on Monday 6th July with a march and an Opening Ceremony officiated by Port Pirie Mayor, Brenton Vanstone, followed by some deadly traditional Aboriginal story telling through song and dance!

Other activities available over the 2 days were: boomerang decorating, face painting,  mask and jewellery making. There was a free sausage sizzle both days, many stalls promoting such facets as good health and nutrition, local heritage, pre-employment training and opportunities as well as live music including Gateways very own Marc!

Career Expo Extras

it’s all about technique	Here we can see one of the many interactive displays from the Careers Expo. Apprentice painter, Will Young, shows this student the proper technique required for simple painting jobs, such as how to hold the brush correctly.
Child Care	There was lots of information to be found at the TAFE SA stall including info on Child Care courses, certificates in Retail and almost every other career you can think of! TAFE is a great avenue to follow up if you don’t particularly want to go to University but still want to continue studying.
Trainees: Workforce of the Future	These young trainees: Lauren Lowe, from ANZ Bank, with Brooke Smith and Kayla Hayes from Port Pirie Regional Council occupied their respective stalls advocating the advantages of on-the-job training in both finance and administration.
Acrylic Beauty	Haylee Pisani, owner of Bedazzled Beauty, gave students a close-up demonstration of how acrylic nails are applied by putting one on each student that popped by the Hair & Beauty stall  - needless to say there were a LOT of girls getting around with one sparkly, acrylic nail.
OZ Minerals Info	OZ Minerals representative Ross Sawes and Southern Flinders Regional Development Board member Terry Reichelt give this Peterborough High student some valuable information on employment in the mining sector.
Olympic Gold Medalist - Kyle Vander Kuyp	Kyle Vander-Kuyp, once a medal winning Olympic hurdler, is now a Dept. of Human Services Ambassador. Kyle was on the Centrelink stall, next to Gateways, at the Careers Expo, he will be appearing later in the year at Vibe Alive festival in Pt Augusta.
Manscaping Marc	Gateways for Youth Project Officer, Marc, shows that having your nails done is an essential part of manscaping before a gig – after having his nails buffed they were given a black polish for the next Sideshow gig – sweet as.

Southern Flinders Careers Expo 2009

Hair & Beauty demo

The Southern Flinders Career Expo returned to Port Pirie in 2009 – with more than 30 exhibitors peddling their informational wares to students from schools around the region. Students were able to move from stall to stall gathering information in many forms such as pack, pamphlets and good old verbal communication!

Schools that came to the Careers Expo included John Pirie Secondary School, Saint Marks College, the Australian Technical College, Mid North Christian College, Jamestown Community, Gladstone High, Peterborough High School, Booleroo Area School and Orroroo Area School.

Nyrstar display

Defectable vehicle

One of the very popular interactive displays was the ‘little red car’ which had a plethora of defective features which students were invited to try and find. The aim of the display was, not only to show students how many defects can be found on a vehicle and raise awareness of the importance of road safety, but also as an introduction to ‘a Day in the Life of’ a mechanic.

Another very popular ‘hands-on’ display was the ‘Tyre Changing Station’. Students were given a checklist to follow when changing a tyre, they were then give an opportunity to have a go at changing the tyre themselves to see how well they managed the task. Some found this no challenge at all while others struggled a little with the cumbersome task.

Spare tyre

We <3 Higher Learning

There was something for everyone at the Careers Expo, as well as the trades displays and other businesses who attended, there was also a place for those who planned to go on to University, with Uni SA and Flinders Uni in attendance with an abundance of course guides and information for students. Clearly, this was a big hit with many students who wish to go on to higher learning.

Another of the very popular stalls at the Careers Expo was the Australian Defence Forces display. With representatives from the Army, Navy and Air Force – the stall was buzzing all day with students interested in gaining ADFA training while also studying for a nationally recognised degree in one of a many number of fields.

Australian Defence Forces

Gateways a-go-go

Another stall that was buzzing throughout the day was our very own Gateways for Youth stall, with Marc, Liz and Rhianna (left) taking it in turns to be ‘on deck’ & give out information on Gateways, what we do, and how we can help students to discover which career might be for them. One of the most popular hand-outs of the day was the Job Matrix, which shows students projected statistics about almost any job you could think of!

Strong Partnerships Improving Disability Outcomes for Youth

Gateways for Youth, the Port Augusta City Council, Business SA and the Port Augusta Special School have formed a strong partnership to improve educational outcomes for youth with a disability that will assist them with transition to future pathways.

These four bodies have developed and implemented a program titled “the Industry Based Curriculum Program – Students with a Disability”. Each partner has a three year commitment to the program with a vision of sustaining it on an ongoing basis.

The program involves a small group of students from the Port Augusta Special School attending the Parks and Gardens depot each Wednesday to undertake set industry based tasks as a part of their curriculum. The program strengthens the students skills and abilities, which are aimed at increasing their employment and life opportunities post school.

This program has given a positive sense of hope supported by a variety of skills and practical new experiences that will enable these wonderful and bright students to pursue future pathways that previously were not thought possible.

Gateways for Youth would like to congratulate Seraphine, Kenneth, Ryan and Tracey on their success in this program!

Interview Innovations

Innovative interviews were conducted in Whyalla by new project officer, Sally. The key component that made these interviews so individual and innovative was that, instead of the traditional mock interview in the classroom or on site at the school, these interviews took place in actual industry settings!

Stuart High Year 10 students were given the day off campus in order to make the interview process as authentic as possible. Students went to a range of industry sites including  JayJay’s and CleanSeas Tuna, and were interviewed by a range of professional volunteers from these industries. This process taught the students the many facets of good interview etiquette from arranging transport and being punctual, to correct uniform / attire and clear communication skills. All in all, a very useful experience!

Discovery Day Randoms

Following are some more random photos from the Discovery Day Seminar conducted with John Pirie Secondary School:

Studious Students	Outdoor types enjoying working outside
Peek-a-boo Pat!	Here’s the boys…working hard.

Expressing Positivity through Creativity

During the Discovery Day session on positive Self-Esteem students were placed into groups and asked to create a poster about positive self-esteem using various craft materials including, coloured card, feathers, sequins, stickers, glitter pens, textas and their own imaginations.

There were some excellent quotes and slogans that came out of this exercise which helped the students to focus on positive self talk and how their own self-esteem can help or hinder their path in life depending on how positive or negetive they are.

Working towards Discovery

The Discovery Day seminar was run as a day-long event for Year 11 students from John Pirie Secondary School on March 26th, 2009. The seminar was split into 3 seperate sessions, each focussing on a different aspect of the journey towards knowing yourself a little better, they were:

• Self Discovery
• Career Development; and;
• Self Esteem

The day started off with the Self Discovery session which took a closer look at values and what a pivotal role they play in choosing a future career or pathway, the session also looked at how your values drive you to succeed within your chosen career path.

The second session saw students complete a Career Profile quiz which revealed which field of interest their future career may lie in according to what they enjoy doing. The fields of interest were:

• People Contact
• Scientific
• Creative
• Office
• Outdoor
• Business
• Practical

The students were then able to take a closer look at their individual field of interest and what different occupations come under that group, they were also able to see what level of study is required for certain occupations which can sometimes be a major deciding factor as to whether a person will continue down one path or choose an alternative.

The third, and final, session was based around Self Esteem and how it impacts on our lives and the decisions we make. Two guest speakers were featured in this session with an interactive “question time” after the main interview, which was lead by Gateways for Youth’s Flinders project officer, Marc Swensson. Our 2 guest speakers for the day were local hairdresser and business owner, Christie Capurso from HairVibe by Christie; and; Dylan Champion, a cadet technical officer from SA Water who is currently studying an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering. The student participation during question time was excellent with many varied queries about how each of our guests go to be where they are today. Both Christie and Dylan were great examples of young local people who have gone on to become successful in their own right.

The Self Esteem session was capped off with a fun, creative activity in which students were divided into teams, each of which was asked to design a poster which promoted positive self-esteem and it’s benefits on your life. There were many excellent slogans and much creative energy put into the posters (and even a tongue twister or two!!).

All in all the day was deemed a great success by both the Gateways for Youth team and also by the students who provided some excellent positive feedback. 

Check-In for D-Day

Students from John Pirie Secondary School were treated to a day long seminar run by Gateways for Youth known as Discovery Day. The day started off with a check-in at the door to collect name tags before grabbing a seat on the journey to self discovery.

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