The Logan Youth Employment Body (Logan’s Community Investment Committee) was part of organising this event which is all about connecting young people into opportunities and services, while celebrating them – taking the focus off Youth Crime and instead focussing on how our Youth Shine.
“There are so many great things about this event: The collaboration of community services from across Logan that we have young people involved throughout the day, that this is a free event for the community offering giveaways, entertainment, food and activities for the community focussing on educating those that attend on the services that are available across Logan for Young People in a relaxed and welcoming environment” says Cherie Massey, who coordinates the Logan Youth Employment Body.
Youth involvement in the lead up to the day is evolving too. Prior to the 2025 event, the organisations who make up the committee surveyed young people that they support to see what they would like from an event. The results helped to form Logan Youth Shine as it is now.
This year, a young person was involved in the design of the ‘passports’ that encourage engagement with stallholders as well as the grant application for Queensland Government Youth Week Funding – building their own skills and work experience and well as making sure the organisers get it right for young people attending on the day.
So how did ‘youth shine’ on the day?
The event included a chillout zone and sensory activities including slime and sand play, as well as free facepainting, a Hula Hoop competition, a Free Barber, hair braiding and henna painting.
Yourtown hosted a ‘how to dress for an interview’ activity and The Street University interviewed young people on the day for one of their podcast episodes, making it clear to the young people there that their voices mattered.
Another highlight was an art workshop decorating skateboard decks, led by yourtown’s Indigenous Mentor. “The skateboards have a beautiful story to them. The artwork in the middle represents the community meeting in one spot and all coming together. The ‘dots’ are fingerprints made by attendees on the day and represent the people coming into the circle to meet, all with different journeys and stories.”
All entertainment on the day was led by young people, including those who live with disability. This included local dance groups, DJ Trent from BEST Disability, a Talent Show and a young person to MC on the day.
How did so many youth services in Logan come to be working together on this event?
“In 2024 there were so many things happening across Queensland Youth Week that clashed with other events, but all with the same purpose. The first year there was an organisation who had funding that went unused, a community group who had to cancel events and others that had lower attendance due to events being held at the same time and people having to choose what to attend”. So Cherie suggested the pool their resources into one big event.
“By combining the event it meant that we were able to bring everyone together in one space, utilise funds and share the organising of the event – many hands make light work. It also meant that we were able to bring multiple organisations who work across Logan together in one place at one time.”
A name was chosen: Logan Youth Shine, to focus more on the great things our young people do and less on youth crime. They have now successfully run the ‘Logan Youth Shine’ event during Queensland Youth Week for two years.
