Alan Solomon: Youth Week designed to challenge

Alan Solomon

We are the Future or Kotatauteao o apopo is the theme of the 2015 Youth Week which kicked off again at the weekend.

All around the country thousands of young people get crazy and funky with the different and exciting events as they celebrate their own in what is usually a pretty full-on week.

The events are designed to encourage our young people to take on challenges, share ideas and focus on the positive aspects of being young.

Rotorua youth service providers and youth groups have definitely come to the party this year and leading the charge on Saturday was the return of the popular Big Az Rotaz Race organised by the 2015 Rotorua Youth Council.

More than 140 teenagers were racing around the CBD and suburbs in teams competing against each other in myriad challenges and competitions with the occasional dead-end, all in the hope of winning cash prizes and bragging rights amongst their peers.

It is a clear highlight of the celebrations for Youth Week.

To add to this for the past three months a group of more than 30 teenagers has been honing hip-hop dance, emceeing and graffiti-art skills to perform for the young racers to conclude the Big Az Rotaz Race at the Risky Business Concert.

Again this is to celebrate our youth, by youth performing for youth in a youth-led event and concert.

On Friday the final event of Youth Week will be hosted by the Rotorua Youth Centre.

It's a new event created by the Rotorua Youth Voices group aptly named Battle of the Schools.

Competing in four categories of art, music, food and cultural performance will see high school students contesting for more prizes and again bragging rights.

Celebrity guest judges will be scrutinising the performers to find the best Rotorua high school singer, band, artist, baker, dancer, cultural group, photographer and the list goes on.

Battle of the Schools is truly going to be a huge event for our young people.

Youth Week began in 1995 in Canada and was introduced to New Zealand in the late 1990s and runs for nine days each year.

Youth Week also recognises youth workers, youth service providers and others working with and for young people.

I would like to honour and thank all the youth workers in Rotorua for the positive role-models that you are and the long hours you invest in the lives of young people who will be our country's future leaders.

-Alan Solomon is activities and events co-ordinator at the Rotorua Youth Centre.

-For more information about Youth Week visit www.arataiohi.org.nz.