Over the past 12 months, the RYN has held 13 events over 12 months across 10 LGAs, with over 1000 young people attending.

Steph Hartshorn, Youth Engagement Leader for The Rural Youth Network and Hannah Humphries, former Program Manager for the Young Rural Leaders Program, recently spoke with the Victorian Parliament team about leadership and what young rural people look for in their leaders. They highlighted the needs of young people in rural communities.

The interview was produced by the Victorian Parliament’s youth associate Darcy Scales, as the second instalment in their State of the Future series, and can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JENYbNkGnQ4&t=32s

Our RYN Engagement Leaders have been working hard to provide a variety of opportunities to young rural people across the region. We attended the Goldfields Community Festival Saturday October 15 and on October 18^th, the RYN attended Central Goldfields Youth Fest 2022 in Maryborough, where young people enjoyed live music, DJs, games, prizes and youth awards. On November 18^th, the RYN was excited to be a part of the 2022 Energy Breakthrough, a joint initiative of the Country Education Partnership (CEP) and the Central Goldfields Shire Council (CGSC). Additionally, our engagement leaders have held useful zoom sessions for young people, providing tips for applying for scholarships and managing stress throughout exams.

We are also excited to officially launch our promotional videos for the Rural Youth Network. Produced in collaboration with Benny Gregs, we have created two videos with a focus on engaging both young rural people and potential donors, philanthropists and funding bodies. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel and view the videos here: https://youtube.com/@theruralyouthnetwork