Top 5 things to do in self isolation (week 4)

The school semester has started but it will be completely different this time. Some young people may find it more or less stressful than a usual in-school semester, they may miss friends, or feel stressed out about things. Many of us feel the same. That is why this week we’ve prepared five tips that may help you to cope with stress and anxiety.

1.    Aroha chatbot. Wow it is real, AI is taking over the world. "Aroha" is a chat bot designed to help young people coping with stress at the time of lockdown. It has been developed by University of Auckland digital youth e-health providers and it provides practical supports and tools while we are physically separated from friends, from school, from sports, activities and communities that would usually support us. You can register and provide your feedback to make it even better and smarter. You can also try a Clever Bot, which is not so clever actually :-)

2. M3 mindfulness. A perfect combination of Mindfulness, Maori stories and Movement = 3M. Follow along and stay Zen.

 3. Shut Up & Dance! What can be better for stress than dancing? Only dancing with New Zealand's first dance class to teach routines inspired by films and music videos. Join online classes and be a star!

4. Sigh language. By that point, you should feel a little less stressed so maybe it is time to learn something new. For example, one of New Zealand’s national languages. The National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Facebook page offers you a rare opportunity to learn New Zealand Sigh language for free. Watch live streaming on April 16 at 12 noon. You can also watch a lesson from the last week.

Did you know that sign language is different in every English speaking country? If you want to learn more about young people who live with hearing impairments watch Switched at Birth it is a very cool TV show about two young girls, I learned a lot from it.

 4. Buses. Transportation is a big issue for all young people, and that is why it may be a good idea to tell the Councils what you like and don’t like about public transport in our region. There is a very simple survey on their website.

Top 5 things to do in self isolation (week 3)

We are really curious to find out how did you go with our tips from week one and week two. You can share your pictures on our Facebook page or put comments down below.
This week we’ve prepared another top 5 things and we really hope you will find them useful.
1. Bird watching & citizen science. Did you know you can help scientists while sitting in your garden or in front of your screen? The first opportunity is an Annual New Zealand Garden Bird survey that takes place from 27 June - 5 July 2020 nationwide. To be able to provide good quality data you can take this free online course. It will help you to identify the most common NZ birds by sound and by their appearance.
The second opportunity to help scientists will not even require you to go outside. You can help by counting birds using web cameras. The Penguin Watch project asks people to mark penguins on footage from web cameras that are located in remote areas. You will be asked to mark adult penguins, chicks, eggs, other birds and even humans.

2. Virtual race. Take part in a virtual run Catch us if you Can. Leave a comment and your picture in the discussion section of this Facebook event and watch regular updates on how many kilometres, hours and steps we as a community can collectively achieve in a bid to outrun COVID -19. If you decide to participate, remember to stay in your local area and keep a safe 2-meter distance from other people.

3. A Week of Wellbeing Challenges. Take a look at this awesome resource, developed by Kohine Maia. They
encourage you to learn how to draw, how to do a handstand, do a workout, prepare a healthy breakfast and more.

4. Crafty Easter. Create some cool Easter crafts to decorate your house inside and out.

5. Start a Youth Group. Are you interested in the natural world? Consider starting a Forest and Bird Youth group. Forest and Bird youth groups popping up all around the country, but no one has started one in Nelson Tasman. This can be your chance. Start gathering some interest around it, make plans and get ready to achieve your goals after the lockdown is over. For more information and help click here.

Top 5 things to do during the lockdown for teens (Week 2)

How are you getting on with the lockdown? We hope you are staying positive and have a strong motivation because we’ve prepared for you another five things that you can do while you are self-isolating.  Check out five activities from the last week here.

1.     Complete a Bingo Challenge. Every week Whanake Youth will be bringing you a fun and active bingo sheet to complete. Some challenges will change from week to week and some may stay the same, but orders will definitely change. So don't be gutted if you don't complete a task you really wanted to, as you may be able to do it the following week. The first person to complete five activities in a row in a week will win a prize Go to Whanake Youth Facebook or Instagram to see more details.

2. Share your vision for Tasman. The Council has identified four main goals (called Priorities) to work towards in the next 10 years and ideas of how to achieve them. Now, this is your chance to let the Council know what do YOU think about those priorities and Council’s plans to achieve them. Take this 3-min survey and be in to win an amazing Bluetooth Speaker Ultimate Ears (prize is available only for young people 12-24).
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTPYouth

 3. Take part in a 1-month challenge and develop a skill or learn something. Convince your friends to join you on this journey. Share your progress and have fun together.

Check out splits and ABS challenges on YouTube.

4. Draw a chalk mural on your street. There should be fewer cars in your neighbourhood so you can reclaim streets back. Start drawing a picture and leave the chalk out there so your neighbours can add bits and pieces.

5. Find out what are the concerns of other young people around the world by watching TEDxTeen .

Share your tips for staying well in self-isolation in the comments. Keep safe and be kind.

Top 5 activities to do in self isolation for young people

The Government has advised us all to stay at home as much as possible, but it doesn’t mean you cannot have an interesting time. We are going to share with you tips and activities that you can still enjoy even at Level 4. 

Here are our first five tips to break away from the boredom over these four weeks:

1. This time may provide a unique opportunity to slow down and think about what you really want to do in your life. Soon you will need to make a difficult choice about your future and many of us usually don’t have enough time to think it through properly. Now it’s your chance. Start with www.careers.govt.nz/. This website provides a good overview of all industries and employment prospects. It will even tell you how much you can expect to be paid.

In addition, have a close look at Industry training organisations (ITOs) as an alternative to polytechs and universities. They provide on-the-job practical training in aviation, construction, marine sales, food industry, plumbing, security and many more. 

The best thing about ITOs is that you can start earning money straight away!
2. Learn something new on an online education platform. There is a variety of online platforms where you can learn science, hobbies and coding. You can access a broad range of free courses through Linda.com. Go to the Tasman District Libraries website and log in using your library card to access e-resources.

If you won’t find what you need, you can also try Coursera, Udemy or even more specialised platforms like www.datacamp.com that teaches data science. 

3. Create something awesome and take part in the “MY STORY” Art Project run by Whanake Youth. Art can be anything that is creative and tells a story through creative expression. This could be for example painting, drawing, writing, poetry, photography, sculpture, weaving, carving, mosaic, tapestry, film, graffiti, ceramics, etc. The most important part is that your piece is telling your story and the public can “listen” to your story by viewing your piece. Go to the Whanake Youth website for more information.

4. Read a book or listen to an audiobook and participate in Rug up & Read. Yes, libraries are closed but you can use Borrow Box an excellent free resource with loads of amazing audio and e-books. You can access this resource and the guideline of Rug up and Read on the Tasman District Library website.

5. Exercise indoors or outdoor. If you want to stay fit inside you can use one of the most popular YouTube fitness channels such as POPSUGAR Fitness or FitnessBlender.

You can also go for a run or a bike ride outside. If you do, make sure to keep a safe 2 m distance from others. 

 Let us know how you go with those tips in the comments.

Your 2020 Vision for Tasman

The Council has identified four main goals (called Priorities) to work towards in the next 10 years and ideas of how to achieve them. Now this is your chance to let the Council know what do YOU think about those priorities and Council’s plans to achieve them.
Take this 3-min survey and be in to win an amazing Bluetooth Speaker Ultimate Ears.

Do you like your town centre?

Is your town centre a good place to hang out? Is it beautiful, comfortable and creative? Is there enough things to do?
Fill out this 2 min survey and let the Council know what you think. Please choose from the links below the town you would like to provide your feedback on:

Note: The Mapua area has been divided into two different centres. Mapua Town Centre One is defined as the area along Aranui Road where Four Square, Sprig & Fern and The Village Mapua are located. The second Mapua Town Centre is located by the Mapua Wharf.

Brightwater
Collingwood
Kaiteriteri
Mapua Centre One
Mapua Centre Two
Motueka
Murchison
Pohara
Richmond
Saint Arnaud
Takaka
Tapawera
Upper Moutere
Wakefield

Thank-you for your participation, it is greatly appreciated. The survey ends on 20/03/2020

Ara Taiohi Youth Week 2020

Ara Taiohi Youth Week runs from 9 – 17 May 2020 and is about recognising the amazing contributions and achievements of young people in New Zealand.
We are organizing a series of events to celebrates the talents, passion and successes of Tasman’s young people.
What can you expect?

• Rebel Revolt Escape room

• Treasure hunt based on a popular book

• Dark room yoga

• Workshops on how to manage your anxiety, eat healthy and breath correctly

• A Recording room where you can tell us everything anonymously

• Basketball competition

• Skateboard coaching sessions

• BMX track working bee with BBQ

• Huge Zentangle colouring

• Dance and gymnastics have a go

• And more

Do you have any other ideas? Get in touch events@tasman.govt.nz.

Celebrating Community diversity

The colour run in Takaka is about celebrating community, family and diversity. Last Saturday, people ran or walked a short course around Rec Park Centre, where they had colour powder thrown at them, and then the course ended with a colour fight.

Young people had lots of fun at Golden Bay Rec park.

Kōhine Māia - Bold & Confident Teenage Girls

Young girls of Nelson Tasman will be empowered with new exciting programme Kōhine Māia run by Sport Tasman. This programme is about girl’s well-being, connectindness, leadership and confidence. Young girls (12 - 18 yrs) are invited to co-design the programme to develop projects that suit them and meet their needs.
Come to the first event on March 29 to get to know each other and start co-designing projects. Don’t worry it’s not another boring meeting, girls are invited to try puddle boarding in Tāhunanui beach, eat healthy snacks and mingle.
More information on  Kōhine Māia Facebook page or contact programme coordinator Ash on ash.c@sporttasman.org.nz

Want to become a radio host?

We are looking for a volunteer radio host for a youth programme The Jam on Fresh FM in Motueka. If you are between 12 and 24 years old and can commit to a fortnightly programme, please get in touch via events@tasman.govt.nz

Full training will be provided.

At the moment The Jam programme is broadcasted from Takaka on a weekly basis. You can listen to the latest episodes here. Extending this programme to Motueka will make it more accessible for young people from around the area to be engaged and co-design the show.