Who are we?
The Wellbeing of Adelaide Youth (WAY) initiative is a Collective Impact initiative in the City of Adelaide made up of representatives from a wide range of organisations and sectors including local and state government, the social, education and health sectors, local business and community including young people who are working together to co-create a City where all 18-24 year olds have great well-being.
Why have we come together?
In 2016, the City of Adelaide in collaboration with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), undertook a PERMA+ survey of its resident population. PERMA+ is a well-being framework which measures positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, optimism, general health and resilience. Whilst the City’s total population returned a higher score than the global average, the 18-24 year olds who participated in the survey self-reported lower levels of well-being than other age groups as demonstrated in the City’s ‘Baseline Wellbeing Measurement Report’. This result is consistent with other studies that demonstrate that stress levels in young Australians and international students are on the rise and that their health and well-being are declining.
The City of Adelaide, young people and cross-sector organisations believe this situation is not acceptable and that it is possible to co-create a city environment where young people have positive connections with others, are healthy and safe from harm, have skills for life, a voice and influence, live in a sustainable environment, and have meaning and purpose. To help create this enabling environment they have joined forces and established this collective.
For more information click here to access WAY’s Community Plan 2018 – 2022
How do we work?
The way we work together is governed by the following principles:
- Results Driven – We are focused on achieving our outcomes and vision
- Inclusion – We embrace diversity
- Authentic Engagement – We are doing our work with 18-24 year olds, not for or to
- Capacity Building – We are committed to ongoing learning and capacity building
- Accountability – We are accountable to each other and to the City’s 18-24 year olds
- Innovation – We prototype our ideas to achieve more effective and sustainable outcomes
- Positivity – We focus on what is strong, not what is wrong
- Evidence-based – We use evidence to ensure we develop and implement the strategies that will make a difference
- Strategic Learning – We monitor, measure, evaluate and learn
- Sustainability – We acknowledge that creating systems change takes time and are committed to delivering an ongoing contribution
Our Community Plan
In 2017, the City of Adelaide engaged Together SA to drive the creation of a collective response to low levels of well-being in 18-24 year old residents. Over a period of 16 months, WAY was established, and a Community Plan developed in consultation with 220+ representatives from a wide range of organisations and sectors including young people. WAY’s Community Plan 2018 – 2022 brings together the outcomes and priorities that will guide the initiative’s work, the way we will measure our progress and how we will work together to realise our ambitions. The Plan is the result of a co-design process and based on data, evidence, expert advice and the outcomes of a youth consultation process to capture the views of 18-24 year olds who live in the city.
WAY’s Top 3 Priorities: 2018 – 2019
Realising a future in which all 18-24 year olds who live in the City of Adelaide have great well-being will take time. To focus WAY’s efforts in 2018-2019, link with the available resources and goals of WAY’s members and to ensure we start to make a positive difference, WAY will be focusing on three priorities in 2018-2019. Like the Community Plan, these priorities are the result of a consultation process with WAY stakeholders:
WAY’s Story
Interested in finding out more about WAY’s journey?
The publication ‘WAY’s Journey: March 2017 to June 2018’ tells the story of WAY. It describes why WAY was started in March 2017, gives a visual snapshot of the work that’s been done and provides a detailed overview of the outcomes that were achieved along the way.
Click here to access WAY’s Journey March 2017 – June 2018
Our Governance Structure
WAY aims to engage as many cross-sector stakeholders as possible including representatives from state and local government, the education and health sectors, Adelaide-based NGOs, service providers, local businesses, 18-24 year olds and other community members. That is why it needs a governance structure to help it function efficiently and effectively. In short, the governance structure encompasses how the initiative is organised and managed to address its goals.
Click here to access WAY’s Governance Structure
Our Partners
WAY couldn’t progress its work without the ongoing support of its’ community. A big shout out to all the organisations, businesses, government departments and young people who have delivered a contribution to WAY since its start in March 2017!
Adelaide Aquatic Centre, Amnesty International, Anglicare, APP Church, Australian Red Cross, batyr, Bikes for Refugees, Body Shop, Bunnings Warehouse, Carclew, City of Adelaide, Clinic 275, Department for Environment and Water, Department of Human Services, Eynesbury Senior College, Flinders University, Goodlife Health Clubs, Headspace, Humble Lion Boxing Club, HYPA, Julia Farr, Krispy Kreme, Lush, Metropolitan Youth Health, Migrant Resource Centre, Mission Australia, MOSH, Multicultural Communities Council of SA, Muslim Women’s Association of SA, MYSA, Office of the Training Advocate, Officeworks, Pilgrim Uniting Church, PHN, Re-engage Youth Services, Rundle Mall Management Authority, SA Health, SALA, SAPOL, SA Water, SAHMRI, Salvation Army, Shine SA, St John’s Youth Services, St Mark’s College, Study Adelaide, TAFE, Tennis Australia, The Joinery, Together SA, Torrens University, UniLodge, Uniting SA, University of Adelaide, University of Adelaide Chinese Students Association, University of South Australia, Urbanest, USASA, Volunteering SA&NT, Workskil, YACSA, Youth Inc., YWCA, 65 King William and Young people.
We are especially grateful for the members of WAY’s Youth Engagement Team who volunteer their time to improve the wellbeing of 18 – 24 year olds in the City of Adelaide. Between March 2017 and June 2018, the following young people led WAY projects:
Chelsey Law, Cheung (Sam) Tsun Sum, Claire Zhang, Daniel Scannella, Đông (Peter) Nguyễn, Flora Biouk, Imran Jamalulhak, Jennifer Liu, Kang Zhang, Louis Fagan, Marissa Menezes, Mary Seagrim, Micah Ho, Mitchell Martinez, Mytheli Parthiban, Nathalie Tonga, Sultan Ahmed Johny and Willa Budiman.
Projects/Events
To hear about current projects, please contact Esme Barret at the City of Adelaide on E.Barratt@cityofadelaide.com.au
Join WAY
Want to be added to the WAY mailing list or get actively involved? Please contact Esme Barret at City of Adelaide on E.Barratt@cityofadelaide.com.au
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