Planet Youth is both a global and local initiative that aims to help communities create an environment in which young people can live their best lives and avoid substance use. The Planet Youth project began in the Blue Mountains in 2019 but activity has been limited due to COVID, until now. In June, Planet Youth Blue Mountains will run a series of free creative workshops for young people and host inspirational speaker Luke S Kennedy as he visits schools across the Blue Mountains.
Luke S Kennedy is one of Australia’s most sought after speakers. He uses his breathtaking life story, which he refers to as ‘a thug’s journey to enlightenment’, to inspire resilience, motivation, and self-awareness for a wide range of audiences from primary schools to high schools, to corporates, public events and correctional centres.
“I love the approach they are taking with Planet Youth,” said Mr Kennedy, “because it’s a holistic approach to helping young people live well. When I talk about drugs and alcohol, I don’t focus on the substances, because the substances are just a symptom of all of the internal stuff going on.”
In early June, Luke will be speaking with hundreds of Blue Mountains students about self-care, motivation and inspiration, reducing fear, anxiety and stress, how to be yourself and stop worrying what people think, bullying, self-bullying and the impact of negative self-talk. He will also be hosting some evening talks with parents and carers to share strategies for improving connection with their young people and looking after their own mental health.
Also in June, Planet Youth Blue Mountains will be running a series of free Stand-Up Comedy workshops for young people aged 12-17 with professional comedian Marty Bright and Playback Improv Theatre workshops, with writer and director Cymbeline Buhler and actor Sarah Dillane. These fun and unique workshops will be run in both Katoomba and Springwood and are for anyone aged 12-17 with an interest in comedy, drama or performance, or those who just like to just be creative or try new things – no experience needed!
“We are also very excited about a collaborative project we are about to start work on with Planet Youth, a group of local young people and the team at Blue Mountains Drama,” said Paige Thurlow-Want, Youth Development Office at MYST (Mountains Youth Services Team), “We will be using a drama-based creative process to produce a video that tells the story of Planet Youth and will hopefully inspire more people to get involved.”
Planet Youth is a community-led project supported by Blue Mountains City Council, MYST (Mountains Youth Services Team) and a host of other community services organisations, local school and community members. For more information about Planet Youth and these upcoming events and activities go to www.planetyouthbm.net.au and follow PlanetYouthBM on Facebook and Instagram.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Planet Youth was first developed in Iceland in 1998 and since then the country has shifted from having the highest level of alcohol and drug use amongst young people in Europe, to having the lowest. Significant reductions in bullying and juvenile crime have also been seen in Iceland as a result of the program. The program has now been implemented in over 200 communities in 34 countries across Europe and the Americas.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation of Australia is working with the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) to trial the Planet Youth program in five locations across Australia. The Blue Mountains was chosen as a pilot site for the program due to the Local Drug Action Team’s (LDAT’s) strong local partnerships with schools, community services and council, and its commitment to preventative action. The LDAT is supported and resourced by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, which funds activities through an approved Community Action Plan.
