Heywire is an opportunity for young people in regional Australia to be heard on the ABC and in Canberra.
Enter Heywire by September 19, 2011 for a chance to have your story broadcast on the ABC, and be part of the annual Heywire Youth Issues Forum in Canberra.
What is Heywire?
Heywire is an ABC Radio initiative, providing a space for the conversation, stories, debate and ideas of young people from rural and regional Australia.
It’s a COMPETITION”¦open to people aged 16–22 to tell stories in all forms of media – text, photos, video and audio – about life and issues in Australia outside the major cities. Up to 40 winners are chosen from ABC Radio regional broadcast locations across the country and winning pieces are presented on the ABC through ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National, triple j and abc.net.au.
It’s a CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE”¦winners also receive a trip to the Heywire Youth Issues Forum in Canberra in February 2012. Staying at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport, participants gain leadership skills and have a chance to pitch their ideas to politicians, funding bodies and policy makers.
It’s a TOOL”¦a resource for parents, teachers, politicians and the wider community to engage young people with the concepts of digital literacy. Resource guides are available for secondary teachers to tie Heywire into their teaching curriculum.
2010 Heywire winner Bethany Evans is one of seven former winners who have been named Heywire Ambassadors for 2011. Each state’s ambassador is now available for interview about their experiences and the positive ways Heywire has shaped their lives.
“You don’t realise what winning Heywire means to you until you look back on the Heywire Forum week and realise, that was possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of. Heywire gave me a sense of empowerment and allowed me to meet some of the most amazing and inspiring young people in the country,” Bethany said.
National Editor ABC Rural, Leigh Radford, said Heywire involves young people from regional Australia in a national conversation. “They come to Heywire to tell the rest of the country how they see it. Since the project began in 1998, more than 7000 young people have shared their story, and many of the ideas generated at the Heywire Forum have inspired positive change in regional communities,” Mr Radford said.
Entries close on September 19, 2011. Enter now at: abc.net.au/heywire
