What is Chit Chat all about?
The Chit Chat (Pilot) Project aims to increase the knowledge and awareness about safety and wellbeing for at risk youth in Victorian rural communities. Over the course of two and a half years, the Chit Chat (Pilot) Project will raise awareness and address issues of cyber-bullying, sexting, safe partying, race-based tension, binge drinking and sexual assault. The Chit Chat (Pilot) Project focuses on prevention and harm minimisation and aims to have a reach of over 8,000 young people living and studying in East Gippsland and Mildura. The project will utilise a ‘whole of community’ approach to education as a guiding principle. As such, Phunktional will be working in cooperation with Victoria Legal Aid, South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault as well as receiving support from local service providers.
The purpose of the project is to provide:
- A performance program of arts strategies to engage youth, and supporting education resources that focuses on a number of social issues.
- Face to face contact with young people to assess their immediate needs and the care services they require.
- An integrated approach to connect youth with regional and local legal, health, and youth services in harm-minimisation strategies and those in need of legal aid.
- Increased benefits for young peoples by giving them ‘a voice’ and empowering them in the decision making process about their needs and care.
- Opportunities for the community to reconnect with young peoples in crisis through the delivery of a program that empowers young peoples with sustainable and realistic support strategies addressing their individual needs
- Provide curriculum and co-curriculum support to schools in regional areas where there are high populations of students at risk.