Term One workshops recap
As we head towards the end of Term One (it’s that time already!) We thought that it would be cool to have a chat with our SADD Delivery Team about what they have been up to this term.
Jay, what area of NZ do you cover and what have been your highlights and focus for Term One workshops/school visits so far!?
I cover the Lower North Island, so pretty much from Wellington through to Tauranga and up to Taranaki on the other side.
Term 1 is always the busiest as I try to get to each region and run a workshop or school visit to help kick start our awesome SADD students for the year. It’s always great meeting new students who are keen to make a difference in their community.
One of my highlights for the term was attending a police careers day in Wellington where SADD joined the police for this event. We had a bunch of students who attended and shared their interests in getting involved in the police pathway programme and starting SADD in there school. We ran a distraction obstacle course at the event and it was loads of fun watching students give it a go and see how distractions can affect their concentration .
Mia, what area of NZ do you cover and what have been your highlights and focus for Term One workshops/school visits so far!?
My region stretches from Waikato all the way up to Far North, which is pretty much the whole Upper North Island.
My primary focus for Term 1 was to get in touch with all my regions. I work with a cluster approach, that enables me to spread myself more. During Term 1 I aim to build clusters in each region, that include the schools and community partners. Once I have a strong network in each area it is easier to connect, to communicate and to initiate any type of SADD events.
My highlight for this term was my Northland travel end of March. Since I had a lot of road blocks last year to reconnect with that region, I was determined to get up there. I connected with different schools and community partners. It was fun to see how they all work together in the community. We have a strong support network and keen students in the Northland. I cannot wait to see how the SADD groups will flourish during this year.
Lydia, what area of NZ do you cover and what have been your highlights and focus for Term One workshops/school visits so far!?
I oversee the delivery in the South Island (the mighty ‘Mainland’). So as you can imagine I spend a whole bunch of time driving around our beautiful island visiting schools and groups, as we are pretty spread out down here! My focus this term has been getting in touch with all my schools and offering workshops or visits, sometimes I am hanging out with young people who have been involved with SADD for ages, and sometimes it is introducing students to how the programme works and talking through how it could work in their setting.
Ideally for me, in Term One I want all my schools to be set up really well for the year, to be well informed and empowered to make a difference in the road safety space. My highlight is simply getting to meet so many awesome young people, it is much nicer meeting face-to-face rather than via email so it has been great to catch up with lots of you, and I look forward to the next time we catch up!
Top tips heading towards the end of Term One for young people involved with SADD?
Jay - Do what works for your school and give it a go, it’s all a learning curve. Some things may not work out as planned for your activity, but that's OK, the big part of SADD is that you give it a go. And have fun with it :-)
Mia - Focus on your strengths. Each area and each single person has unique strengths that can contribute to making a change. Use what you have available to you, be creative and have the courage to try new things. Always remember, whatever you do - do it with joy and passion :D
Lydia - Sounds boring maybe, but make a plan for the year! Having something to work towards gives you a focus, and then have fun with it and be creative, making a difference can actually be a really fun and empowering thing :)