With a festival vibe, Youth Expo has become an annual event which students across Nuriootpa High School look forward to.

The student-led, teacher-facilitated one-day event is a cross-year level collaborative project which underpins community connection components of both Year 11 (SACE Stage 1) Positive Education and Year 12 (SACE Stage 2) Health courses.

For Year 11 students, Positive Education has a strong focus on understanding and developing personal and social capabilities while Year 12 Health students build upon this previous learning to explore community health related issues.

The result is the much-anticipate Youth Expo, which brings together a diverse range of student-designed and implemented activities such as sports, games, arts, crafts, music and food alongside health information on youth specific topics, plus a variety of local community service providers relevant to young people.

This year’s expo featured almost 70 unique activity or information stalls which had been designed and implemented by students for students, including the coordination of 15 community service providers to have a presence on the day. Such providers included SAPOL, SA Ambulance, The Barossa Council, iSee Youth, Headspace Gawler, John’s Place, Feros Care, Barossa Campus, Tutti Arts, BTS with Jess, BBBfm, Services Australia, Barossa Learn to Drive, Blending our Futures Coffee and TAFE SA.

“This might be the largest number of stalls and activities we’ve had. Thanks to every staff member who has generously given time, ideas and supported our students,” said Ms Olivia Jones, Wellbeing Leader and Positive Education teacher.

Alongside Nuriootpa High School students, Year 6 students from local primary schools such as Redeemer Lutheran School, Nuriootpa Primary School and Greenock Primary School, had the opportunity to engage in the experience, and to begin to familiarise themselves with the secondary school environment in preparation for their transition from primary school.

“Primary School students and their teachers were highly complementary of organisers, students and the great opportunity to experience the best of Nuriootpa High School,” said Mr David Marino, Principal.

As positive participation was a strong focus of the event, students were able to earn peer-issued raffle tickets for their engagement in activities, while teachers were on the look out for school values (growth, respect and resilience) in action to reward and reinforce positive behaviour through house points.

“It was great to see students pushing themselves to new limits, and in talking with stall holders throughout the day, they had a great sense of ownership, pride and engagement over their activities,” reflected Mr Marino.