TEN local young people have successfully completed an intern experience with Gannawarra Shire Council in creating an online web space for local youth.
The interns developed the concept during five daily sessions and will now take ownership of their proposed creation.
A fruitless search for a suitable youth centre premises, the reality of multiple communities and the tyranny of distance forced Gannawarra Youth Council to consider a virtual youth space.
Gannawarra Shire Council has been able to work with talented young people from across the municipality to create a virtual platform which will allow access to local and online support, events and stories for local young people.
A $50,000 VicHealth grant enabled the project to proceed.
Gannawarra mayor, Cr Brian Gibson said the Wired into the Warra project has been an innovative approach to the need to provide local young people with information and access to services.
“Young people are important, they are our future and they are worth focusing on and investing in,” he said.
“This project will result in a space where young people from across Gannawarra can access information and connect with others.”
A working group of 10 young people from across the shire collaborated through an internship to design, develop and implement this virtual online youth space, to be named ‘MyWarra.com’.
The interns worked with professionals from Chops for Tea and Green Graphics on a range of topics including design and branding, naming, internet protocol and copyright, servers, domains, social media, promotion, visioning and the future management of the website.
“Council was really excited to be able to offer local young people the opportunity to participate in an internship to co-design and co-deliver this project,” Cr Gibson said.
“By involving young people, who are the ones who are going to be primarily accessing this information, it ensures that the virtual space is tailored to the correct audience and increases the chances of young people having relevant, informative and helpful information at their fingertips.”
Council held a celebratory session on Thursday for stakeholders and councillors to meet the young people behind this project see the results of their work.
For more information please contact council on 5450 9333 or visit council’s website.
