MIT and council partnership addresses youth safety

Monday, 02 July 2007

MIT and council partnership addresses youth safety

A public relations assignment set by Communications lecturer Graeme Sterne for Bachelor of Applied Communication students asked them to sell the idea of safe after-school balls. With many of the students not being long out of school, some of their practical and engaged suggestions have sparked the interest of Manukau City Council.

Cat Marvin is the council’s Youth and School Road Safety coordinator. “We will be getting five students to come along with some local secondary students and address a panel on safety issues from a youth perspective. The panel includes representatives from the council, the police, public health bodies, district licensing authorities, ACC and the Alcohol Advisory Council.

“We need to get a sense of how young people perceive the issues and have a communications plan that’s youth-led. Because the assignment was in the area of public relations, it meant the MIT students were looking at how to reach the target market and get across safety information using the appropriate language and means of communication. We’ll be amending some of their ideas and looking at ways to implement them in the real world.

“Our main aim is to reduce alcohol-related harm – we can’t hide away and say that students don’t drink. The recent road blitz showed us, though, that while young people are taking the rap, drink driving is a societal issue not just a youth issue.”

Cat acknowledges that while the after-ball is considered the main event by many students, organisations such as the council are looking at creating secure and supervised environments where school students feel they have autonomy and can have fun.

Lecturer Graeme Sterne has seen a number of benefits for his students in the assignment. “PR is about communicating well with a range of stakeholders. The students have grasped this idea very well. The messages they have constructed will reach not only the high school students who will attend the after-balls, but also the parents, teachers, boards of trustees, police and local businesses.

"We are delighted that we can partner with Manukau City Council in its concern for the community. We are part of that community and it’s natural for our students to want to address current issues and concerns."

The MIT and Manukau City Council partnership established through this assignment will have ongoing benefits, with the students becoming an articulate focus group offering the council feedback on other youth initiatives.

ENDS

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