Today marks the start of ACT Youth Week (14 to 24 April), which celebrates and recognises the contributions that young Canberrans make to their peers and community.

Yvette Berry, ACT Minister for Youth Affairs, said young Canberrans shaped Canberra.

“Your voices and perspectives are key to not only addressing the issues that affect you and your peers, but also those that matter to the broader Canberra community such as the current cost of living crisis,” Ms Berry said.

For instance, she said, the ACT Government’s Youth Grants Program financially supports young people to participate in activities, events, and programs. Youth InterACT scholarships are open year-round.

Katie Jakab, a recent Youth InterACT grant recipient, used funding to create Mental Health Crisis-line Cards for young people to access crisis phone line numbers in the event that they or a friend need support.

Katie said the cards arose “from my awareness that youth are some of the most affected by poor mental health and mental illness in Australia, and from my own experiences as a young person who has gone through, and supported friends with, mental illness”.

“They are small enough to fit in a phone-case or wallet, creating a convenient means to access these numbers, encouraging young people to use them in moments of crisis where the simple act of finding these numbers online may be a big enough barrier to prevent their use. It’s a simple solution that I hope will have a big impact.”

The ACT Government supports several free events for Youth Week, including:

• A mindfulness event at the National Gallery of Australia this Saturday morning
• Free screenings of the Super Mario Bros Movie in Belconnen and Tuggeranong, on Tuesday 18 April, at 11.30am. (Belconnen fully booked.)
• A Sunset Festival in Eddison Park / Woden Skatepark on Thursday 20 April, 3pm to 6pm, with free food and entertainment
• A youth ping pong tournament at the Beseda Multi Culti Hub, Queanbeyan, on Saturday 22 April, at 4pm

Ms Berry encouraged young people to “get involved in one of the many events across our region during Youth Week, and reflect on the role you can continue to shape a bright future for our great city”.

A full list of events can be found at www.act.gov.au/youthweek.