News and Events
Media Releases
View Victorian Government media releases by date, minister and/or department.
Advance Competition – Opened 11 August 2008
Students involved with Advance are invited to create an Advance group multimedia story to win great prizes.
For teacher resources visit the Advance School Resources page.
For more information visit the competition pages on youthcentral.
Positive Body Image grants announced
The Positive Body Image Small Grants are one component of the $2.1 million Teenagers 'Go for your life' Positive Body Image Strategy and are available each year until 2010.
The Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino, recently announced more than 50 organisations would receive Positive Body Image Small Grants in 2008-09. The grants of up to $5,000 are focussed on projects that promote positive body image to young people, in particular to those aged between 12-16 years by supporting education and awareness programs in their local community.
Successful grants demonstrated a clear understanding about the issues surrounding body image including encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, increasing self-esteem and confidence in young people. Young people were also integral in the development, delivery and evaluation of the project to ensure that activities met both their needs and interests.
View the list of successful applications for Positive Body Image grants.
Grants open for the Youth Participation and Access program and Mentoring and Capacity Building Initiative 2009-2011
Local governments and not-for-profit organisations are invited to work in partnership with the State Government to deliver the Youth Participation and Access (YPA) program 2009-2011.
The YPA program is funded by the Office for Youth to deliver a mix of activities for a targeted group of vulnerable young people who face additional barriers to participate in their community. The Office for Youth will provide grants of between $30,000 and $50,000 per annum over three years to successful applicants who deliver a range of activities for young people in local communities.
Find out more about the Youth Participation Access program 2009-2011.
Under the Mentoring and Capacity Building Initiative, funding for 12 youth mentoring Targeted Projects is available for 3 years (2009 - 2011 calendar years) of up to $50,000 per annum.
Find out more about the Mentoring initiative.
This is a streamlined competitive grants process as a result of the commonalities between the two programs. For more information on the programs, including the guidelines and application process, visit the Grants@DPCD website. Applications close 5 September 2008.
Funding for young Victorians to rock out
Young Victorians across the state will be looking to a career in the music industry as they get access to $10,000 worth of musical equipment in their local communities as part of a new Brumby Government program.
Youth Affairs Minister James Merlino has announced funding for the Central Goldfields in Maryborough, which is one of 26 local government areas to receive funds under the new $1.3 million Music Equipment Grants program.
“The goal is to provide music equipment for Central Goldfields youth, shared with others in their communities, which they would often not be able to afford on their own. For example, Central Goldfields Shire will be purchasing a PA system, acoustic, electric and bass guitars, a keyboard, synthesiser, microphone stands and a practice pad drum kit," Mr Merlino said.
The grants will tie in well with the successful FReeZA program to provide equipment and venues to perform and rehearse locally.
“A key part of the initiative is that young people will manage the equipment in partnership with the community, giving them additional experience and skills,” Mr Merlino said. “As part of the program, local governments have also identified venues in their community where young people can rehearse and perform under the Victoria Rocks - A Place to Rock initiative.”
Mr Merlino encouraged other Victorian councils to submit an expression of interest for grants of up to $10,000 to establish a music equipment bank.
Contact the Office for Youth for more details.
Victoria Leads the Way with Body Image Code
The Victorian Government is proudly leading the way in launching Australia's first-ever code on how the media can be encouraged to present images to promote positive self-esteem and body image in young people.
Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino has launched the Voluntary Media Code of Conduct on Body Image. Signing up to the code the Minister was joined by Jo Stanley from Fox FM, former swimmer Nicole Livingstone OAM and netballer Sharelle McMahon, along with leading academics, fashion, retail and media representatives.
The Victorian Voluntary Media Code of Conduct on Body Image is a significant step in encouraging changes in the way images are portrayed and in improving body image in young people.
For more information visit the Positive Body Image page.
Youth Foundations
Young people in eight communities will now have a real chance to have their say in a Victorian Government program that lets young people decide where community resources should be allocated.
Youth Foundations Victoria (YFV) brings together the Victorian Government, Bendigo Bank Group and local communities to establish local projects across the State. In each location, a group of local young people will come together to form a Young People’s Action Committee (YPAC). This YPAC will look at the needs of their community, and then make recommendations on funding grants that help other young people to run activities that benefit the community.
Read more on Youth Foundations.
Victoria Rocks
Minister for the Arts Lynne Kosky and Minister for Youth Affairs James Merlino launched Victoria Rocks; a package for grants and initiatives aimed at boosting Victoria’s contemporary music scene and assisting local bands and musicians in inner city and in rural and regional Victoria. The Victoria Rocks program offers $7.1 million program funding support to independent musicians and bands to break into the industry or to further their careers. The package was developed by Arts Victoria, the Office for Youth and Tourism Victoria and comprises the following : 1) Funding to equip musicians is available under three categories:
For further information, application forms and funding dates on the Music Career Building, Music Touring and the Strategic Music Industry partnership grants visit the Arts Victoria website Victoria Rocks funding program or
Victoria Rocks MySpace
2) Also included is $2.4 million to continue the successful youth
3) The third component is $1.3 million for a Musical Equipment Grants program and the associated 'A place to rock' initiative. These grants will help communities to build a library of musical equipment, from mobile staging, to PA systems and CD recording equipment, which will be a huge boost to young people that can’t currently access what they need to pursue their musical passion.