Media Release  Nurturing Resilient Youth launch  April 2011

The Nelson community is being told to get involved if it wants to solve the problem of anti-social behaviour among young people.
This is the focus of a new initiative to be launched in Nelson in May. The Nurturing Resilient Youth (NRY) project grew out of a youth forum held during the Anglican Diocese and Nelson City 150th celebrations in 2009. From this the Nelson Safer Community Council established the youth resiliency initiative.

NRY Committee member and Executive Director YMCA Nelson Ron Kjestrup, says although overall young people in Nelson are motivated, engaged, sociable and developing into rounded adults, there is a growing number of young people becoming increasingly vulnerable and exhibiting antisocial behaviours.

“In order to shift this trend the community needs to become involved – it is a community issue, not just for young people,” he says.

The NRY committee will launch the concept of a community wide approach to developing resiliency in our young people at a public event and workshop titled, ‘Nurturing Resilient Youth: Everybody Matters – It’s Better Together’. Researcher and social commentator, Celia Lashlie is the keynote speaker at the launch on Wednesday, 4 May in the Nelson College for Girls hall.

“Celia is an outspoken commentator on parenting, criminal justice and youth issues,“ Ron says. “Her presentation will provide an opportunity for all nurturers in the Nelson region to join together, focus on what we can do as a community, and take actions that will help youth and their caregivers become more resilient and more able to face the changes and challenges of living positively.”

Following the launch, there is a full day workshop on Saturday, 7 May at Victory Community Centre devoted to identifying key issues, so an action plan can be developed with follow-up activities in the community.

Resiliency experts and NRY committee members, Mike Milstein and Annie Henry will talk about resiliency at the launch and facilitate the workshop.  They describe resiliency as ‘the ability to bounce back from adversity, learn new skills, develop creative ways of coping and becoming stronger.’

They say resiliency is built through positive connections between young people and their communities; clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries; life guiding skills; nurture and support; purposes and expectations and meaningful participation throughout the community.

For more information contact resilient.youth@clear.net.nz. or visit http://www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/nurturing-resilient-youth/

NRY Launch: 7pm Wednesday, 4 May 2011, at the Nelson College for Girls. Everyone is welcome.

NRY Workshop: 9am-4pm Saturday, 7 May at Victory Community Centre.

Ends

Contact:

Ron Kjestrup, Executive Director   YMCA Nelson
P : 03 545 6637  M : 027 445 3226 E : e.d@nelsonymca.org.nz

Mike Milstein & Annie Henry
P: 539 0620 E: agewell@ihug.co.nz (Mike)
E: annie58@ihug.co.nz (Annie)

Celia Lashlie
A researcher and social commentator, Celia Lashlie worked for 15 years within the Prison Service, starting in December 1985 as the first woman to work as a prison officer in a male prison in New Zealand. Her final role within the Service was as Manager of Christchurch Women’s Prison, a position she left in September 1999.

Celia, who has a degree in anthropology and Maori, is the mother of two adult children and Nana to two gorgeous boys. She now works on a number of projects, all of which are linked to improving the lives of at-risk children and empowering families to find their own solutions to the challenges they face.

In September 2004, she completed the ‘Good Man’ project. The project, which facilitated discussion within and between 25 boys’ schools throughout New Zealand, aimed to create a working definition of what makes a good man in the 21st century.

She has written three books; The Journey to Prison: Who goes and why, He’ll Be Ok: Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men and The Power of Mothers: Releasing Our Children

Mike Milstein and Annie Henry

Both Mike and Annie were researchers and educational leadership professors in the US before permanently moving to Nelson. They have written two books together on building resiliency in youth, school and community. Their latest one is  Leadership for Schools and Communities (2008) and is available at Page and Blackmore. Mike has written over a dozen books and Annie has written four.

Mike and Annie have also worked with schools in New Zealand to build resiliency in the schools and their communities. Prior to becoming a professor, Annie was a primary school principal who had great success in turning around low performing schools by building resiliency.

Mike and Annie both have doctorates in educational leadership and are grandparents of three grandsons. They continue to be active in their community through various areas. They are members of the Nurturing Resilient Youth and play croquet. Mike is a member of the Executive Committee for the Nelson Safer Community Council. Annie is Immediate National Past President of the New Zealand Educational Administration and Leadership Society (NZEALS) and researcher for the International Successful School Principals Project