A social design lab for developing innovative health promotion initiatives with young people, for young people.
Improving the mental health and wellbeing of young Victorians
One in four young Victorians experience mental health difficulties — affecting their relationships, negatively impacting their studies, and disrupting their ability to work. In 2012, suicide was the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24.
In Australia, young people have the highest levels of mobile phone ownership of all demographic groups. Over 95% use the internet daily. An unprecedented opportunity exists to utilise web, mobile, new and emerging digital technologies to engage young people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Building resilience using digital technologies, with young people for young people
The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) are working with Collabforge, Project Synthesis and Doing Something Good to develop a Resilience Insights and Innovation Lab, a unique, dynamic project aimed at engaging young Victorians (aged 10-25) in the cocreation of health promotion initiatives that use digital technologies.
These initiatives will be aimed at building resilience in young people — improving their ability to maintain balance in the face of adversity, and empowering and enabling them to develop and realise their strengths.
Growing a shared understanding and developing solutions together
The Resilience Insights and Innovation Lab project has two key components. The first is a stream of research aimed at growing our understanding of what resilience means to young people, and how we might build resilience using digital technologies. The second component is the development of an innovative, sustainable and replicable cocreation model for designing, testing and rolling out new initiatives.
Over the next three months, the project team will be running a series of research activities and codesign sessions working with a diverse mix of young people, key representatives from the mental health and youth sectors, digital innovators, service design professionals, process facilitators and social entrepreneurs.
Your invitation to join us
If you have an interest in helping young people build resilience, and would like to know how you can participate in the Resilience Insights and Innovation Lab project, or be updated on developments, please email David Hood at david@doingsomethinggood.com.au