News Archive

Young designers take note: Registrations for the Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards open Monday 27th May 2013.

The Awards are open to all 13 - 18 year olds who are passionate about art, fashion and design and who want to challenge their creativity and share their skills with the nation.

As principal sponsor of the Youthtown Creatifs 2013, AUT will join Youthtown in the search for New Zealand’s top creative talent, so make sure you check out the Youthtown Creatifs website to learn more about the award categories, judges and the amazing prizes up for grabs.

Registrations close Friday 23 August. To learn more about the awards, to be creatively inspired, or to enter, go to www.youthtowncreatifs.org.nz.

This year’s Youth Week was themed ‘Live like a legend’ and was all about recognising the amazing contributions and achievements of young people in New Zealand.

Celebrations took place throughout the country with all Youthtown branches getting behind Youth Week and organising a range of exciting activities, workshops and events.

Youthtown Oamaru celebrated Youth Week by investing in the development of the up and coming ‘Legends’ of our country. Year 8 students from the Waitaki District took part in Youthtown Oamaru’s Leadership and Development Workshop, aimed at developing young people’s leadership potential.

The students worked with Rob Connolly, of Vertical Ventures NZ, to identify their individual strengths through challenges which focused on teamwork and problem solving. This was also a great opportunity for young people to get to know each other before heading to high school next year. 

[Youthtown Oamaru leadership workshop]

Youthtown Taupo celebrated Youth Week with their annual Body Rock hip-hop competition on Friday night (May 4). The night was full of amazing local talent and also featured Prestige, one of New Zealand’s premier dance crews, who were also on the judging panel.

Local Constable Ross Humphrey joined Youthtown Taupo in their celebration when he performed in front of 250 screaming youth between the ages of 12 – 24.

Check out Humphrey’s impressive moves alongside our staff and Youth Squad members here, which has since gone viral online.

[T.A.D Fierce and Prestige at Youthtown Taupo’s Body Rock Competition] 

Youthtown’s annual Voice of New Zealand Survey opened Friday 4 May in conjunction with the launch of Youth Week 2013. The survey is a chance for all New Zealanders 13-18 years old to have their say on issues that are important to them.

The survey which closes (Friday 24 May), has a positive emphasis on understanding young Kiwis’ relationships with family and friends, who they identify with and why, and what their vision is for the future.

We look forward to sharing the 2013 results with you all in July.

[Upper Hutt Mayor, Wayne Guppy with Youthtown squad member, Fa’a Tuuina far right with other Young Achiever Award winners]

Upper Hutt Youth Squad member Fa’a Tuuina has been acknowledged for his incredible commitment to his community, including running local events for young people, establishment of the Pacific cultural group, dedication to the Youthtown Upper Hutt Youth Squad, and leadership as head boy at Upper Hutt College.

At this month’s Upper Hutt Inspire Young Achiever Awards, Fa’a won the ‘Culture Upper Hutt Young Achiever Award’ and was announced as Runner Up for the ‘Supreme Inspire Young Achiever Award’.

The 2013 Awards, held during Youth Week, recognise local young people who have achieved in the areas of culture, service & leadership.

Fa’a was nominated by Youthtown Upper Hutt for his generosity and skills as a real life role model within Youthtown’s After School Programmes, Youth Squad and in the wider community.

We are extremely proud of Fa’a’s achievements and would like to thank Upper Hutt Council for highlighting his successes. 

Youthtown branches around New Zealand are gearing up for Youth Week (4-12 May) which this year is themed “Live like a legend”.

To kick-start the week, Youthtown will be encouraging young New Zealanders aged between 13 and 18 to participate in the 2013 Youthtown Voice of NZ survey which officially opens on Friday May 4. Everyone who registers to take part in the survey will be emailed a link to the questionnaire which closes on new date of May 24.

The questionnaire will delve further into themes of interest from 2012, and will include questions associated with the 2013 Youth Week theme. 

Youth Week is about highlighting the amazing things young people can achieve by embracing and celebrating their success and participation in the community. The theme “Live like a legend” aims to get young people to push themselves and try new things whilst looking to the legends of the past for inspiration to be a legend in the present.

The program of events organised by Youthtown branches across New Zealand include a dance party; leadership & development workshops; Student Markets; Sports in the Park evenings; Amazing Race competitions and a few pool parties to cool down the action.

For more information about events taking place in your region check out the Youth Programmes page here.

This month we have a “changing of the guard” as we farewell Keith Thorpe, our CEO of the past eight years, and introduce our new Youthtown CEO, Paula Kearns.

Please join us in welcoming Paula as she takes up the reins to lead the Youthtown team. We know she has broad experience and skills across many corporate, sporting, youth and charitable organisations. Her expertise in leadership and governance will be a real asset to Youthtown as New Zealand’s largest youth organisation.

Like us, Paula is committed to developing young people and supporting New Zealand communities. She enjoys family time with her three children alongside social and sporting commitments.

The Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards are back for a second year, seeking aspiring young Kiwis with a passion and flair for fashion and the creative arts.

Following on from the success of the 2012 Awards, AUT University has come on board as this year’s principal sponsor. As a leading institution for youth development and education, AUT share our passion in encouraging creativity and inspiring New Zealand youth to follow their dreams.

In 2013 there are two award categories; the ‘AUT Fashion Design Award’ and the ‘AUT Wearable Art Award’.

The AUT Wearable Art Award asks designers to create a mask inspired by the theme “identity”, while the AUT Fashion Design Award challenges young designers to produce a ready to wear garment that reflects both current fashion trends and individual style.

The Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards provide a wonderful opportunity for anyone aged 13 to 18 years to express their individuality and flair through the wearable art or fashion design category, or both.

Registrations open Monday 27 May 2013.

To learn more about the awards, or to be creatively inspired, go to the Youthtown Creatifs website or find us on Facebook.

Alumni and Warriors players were among dignitary who attended the launch of two new Fitness Trails in Auckland over the past month.

Takapuna Normal Intermediate School officially launched their Youthtown Fitness Trail at the end of March followed by St Pauls College in early April.  

[Principal, Owen Alexander cutting the ribbon to Takapuna Normal Intermediate School Youthtown Fitness Trail.]

St Pauls College celebrated the opening of their Youthtown Fitness Trail with alumni and Warriors players John Palavi and Elijah Taylor, who cut the ribbon and encouraged students to set achievable health and fitness goals for themselves.

Takapuna Normal Intermediate School celebrated with alumni from a maths extension class who originally investigated the feasibility of the Youthtown Fitness Trail for the school.

Both schools in Auckland are encouraging students and community to use the facilities after school hours to stay fit and active well into the winter months.

Youthtown has now successfully launched 12 Fitness Trails throughout New Zealand, with an additional four trails planned to launch this year.

[Principal Mark Rice, Joe Vagana, and Youthtown CEO Keith Thorpe cut the ribbon to St Pauls College Youthtown Fitness Trail].

Youthtown wants young New Zealanders to speak up on the issues that matter most to them, through the 2013 Youthtown Voice of NZ Survey.

The focus of the survey is to gain an understanding of young Kiwis’ relationships with their friends and family, their personal wellbeing, who they identify with and why, and their plans for their future.

The questionnaire is designed by a specialist research company and all participants’ information remains confidential.

Last year’s survey data gave Youthtown an insight into the minds of New Zealand youth allowing them to ensure they are communicating with young people in a way they understand. The data also enables Youthtown to shape its nationwide programmes to support young peoples’ goals and aspirations.

Youthtown encourages all youth aged between 13 and 18 to participate in the survey. Survey registrations are open now on the Youthtown website. 

When the survey questionnaire opens on 4 May 2013, all registered participants will be emailed a link to the survey questionnaire. Everyone that completes the survey will go in the draw to win an iPad.

If you would like to learn more about the outcomes from the 2012 Youthtown Voice of NZ Survey, the Executive Summary is available on the Youthtown website here. 

On the second anniversary of the Christchurch earthquakes, Youthtown recognised the day of commemorations with the launch of the region’s third Fitness Trail which will be shared by Shirley Boys’ High and Shirley Intermediate School. This is the eleventh Youthtown Fitness Trail to be launched in the last two years, and part of an on-going national initiative to encourage Kiwi school children to get more active. 

Funded by Youthtown, the Fitness Trails are specifically designed to suit the fitness requirements of Kiwi school children. Made up of eight stationery workout stations, they include a tyre run, chin up bars, push up bars, balance beam, step up, hanging bars, jump bean and parallel bars.

This new Fitness Trail has been built on Shirley Boys’ High fields adjacent to Shirley Intermediate, making it readily accessible to both schools and the local community.

Two additional Youthtown Fitness Trails are planned for 2013 in Takapuna and Ponsonby, Auckland.

Youthtown’s ‘Team Discover Fun & Adventure’ joined 70,000 runners and walkers in this year’s Round the Bays in Auckland on Sunday 10^th March.

The team included 56 entrants from our gym members, supporters, youth squads, holiday programmes, staff members and their families.

The Youthtown team did a fantastic job encouraging each other along the 8.4km course in sweltering heat and even managed to take some fun team shots along the way.

To celebrate reaching the finish line team members were treated to a cooling swim and BBQ back at Youthtown’s Auckland city branch.

Round the Bays 2013 was an opportunity for Youthtown to share their message of ‘Discover Fun & Adventure’ by taking part in an iconic event renowned for its family fun element.

Our thanks to the Youthtown Round the Bays team for all your hard work and energy in reaching the finish line!