PROJECT ROCKIT

WE WERE HOT TO GO IN 2024 - THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE PROJECT ROCKIT MOVEMENT 🚀 💫 This year has been next level! From elevating youth voices to sparking change in classrooms and on national channels , we’ve been busy on the ground with young people every day to build a world where kindness and respect thrive 💥 HERE'S OUR 2024 GOOD NEWS WRAPPED ✨ Growing the movement! 💙 We hit a major milestone, engaging now 700,000+ students in PROJECT ROCKIT’s transformative workshops ALL TIME. Empowering communities! 🙌 We partnered with 180+ schools this year, including Newcastle and Hunter regions, King Island, Melton, and Portland, providing over 54,500 young people in regional and low-SES communities access to essential wellbeing support through our anti-bullying programs. Made possible through under the The PROJECT ROCKIT Foundation (PRF) to support school wellbeing efforts. Expanding access to resources 💻 Our flagship program, PROJECT ROCKIT Plus, saw incredible success, with 140 schools and over 41,600 students and their parents now accessing wrap-around support to foster school-wide kindness and inclusion. Amplifying voices that aren’t heard enough 🎤 Connecting with our friends over at Culture Spring (under Centre for Multicultural Youth) to film Season 5 of our flagship series PROJECT ROCKIT TV (PRTV), all about amplifying and elevating the voices of young people from #multicultural backgrounds and their experience navigating life and school. Creating national buzz! 📺 Our Shaping Our Feed campaign on young people’s experiences of social media algorithms collected 270,000 views on its first 7 videos, sparking important conversations about the role of tech in young people’s lives. Read their insights 👉[https://bit.ly/48LmJb4] Youth Participation and Leadership 🏆 Following years of #youthparticipation practice, we launched our National Youth Collective and begun working on a range of projects where young people can be both the creators and the decision makers. Learn more about their work 👉 [https://bit.ly/3WpmEFr] And finally, a huge shoutout to our incredible PROJECT ROCKIT team - their unwavering dedication to creating a kinder, more inclusive world make our collective impact possible! 💜🚀 #youthempowerment #socialimpact #bullyingprevention #studentwellbeing #socialenterprise . . . [Image Descriptions:  1. 700,000+ students engaged in youth driven programs all time.  2. Felix presenting with secondary students.  3. 54,500+ students accessed essential wellbeing programs this year.  4. A group photo with P-ROCKers Bukhosi, Rosie, Felix and Susan, with Year 7s.  5. 41,600+ students accessed digital resources this year.  6. On set filming PRTV Season 5 with Culture Spring (watch this space in 2025!) 6. Shaping Our Feeds quadrant post with statistics and a quote from the report - link in bio to read. 7. Dan and Jolie, member of the National Youth Collective, on stage at the AAAH Conference in Brisbane.]

WE WERE HOT TO GO IN 2024 - THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE PROJECT ROCKIT MOVEMENT 🚀 💫 This year has been next level! From elevating youth voices to sparking change in classrooms and on national channels , we’ve been busy on the ground with young people every day to build a world where kindness and respect thrive 💥 HERE'S OUR 2024 GOOD NEWS WRAPPED ✨ Growing the movement! 💙 We hit a major milestone, engaging now 700,000+ students in PROJECT ROCKIT’s transformative workshops ALL TIME. Empowering communities! 🙌 We partnered with 180+ schools this year, including Newcastle and Hunter regions, King Island, Melton, and Portland, providing over 54,500 young people in regional and low-SES communities access to essential wellbeing support through our anti-bullying programs. Made possible through under the The PROJECT ROCKIT Foundation (PRF) to support school wellbeing efforts. Expanding access to resources 💻 Our flagship program, PROJECT ROCKIT Plus, saw incredible success, with 140 schools and over 41,600 students and their parents now accessing wrap-around support to foster school-wide kindness and inclusion. Amplifying voices that aren’t heard enough 🎤 Connecting with our friends over at Culture Spring (under Centre for Multicultural Youth) to film Season 5 of our flagship series PROJECT ROCKIT TV (PRTV), all about amplifying and elevating the voices of young people from #multicultural backgrounds and their experience navigating life and school. Creating national buzz! 📺 Our Shaping Our Feed campaign on young people’s experiences of social media algorithms collected 270,000 views on its first 7 videos, sparking important conversations about the role of tech in young people’s lives. Read their insights 👉[https://bit.ly/48LmJb4] Youth Participation and Leadership 🏆 Following years of #youthparticipation practice, we launched our National Youth Collective and begun working on a range of projects where young people can be both the creators and the decision makers. Learn more about their work 👉 [https://bit.ly/3WpmEFr] And finally, a huge shoutout to our incredible PROJECT ROCKIT team - their unwavering dedication to creating a kinder, more inclusive world make our collective impact possible! 💜🚀 #youthempowerment #socialimpact #bullyingprevention #studentwellbeing #socialenterprise . . . [Image Descriptions:  1. 700,000+ students engaged in youth driven programs all time.  2. Felix presenting with secondary students.  3. 54,500+ students accessed essential wellbeing programs this year.  4. A group photo with P-ROCKers Bukhosi, Rosie, Felix and Susan, with Year 7s.  5. 41,600+ students accessed digital resources this year.  6. On set filming PRTV Season 5 with Culture Spring (watch this space in 2025!) 6. Shaping Our Feeds quadrant post with statistics and a quote from the report - link in bio to read. 7. Dan and Jolie, member of the National Youth Collective, on stage at the AAAH Conference in Brisbane.]

💛 What an incredible day yesterday at the 'Let’s Take Social Media Back' lunch hosted by new social media platform on the scene... WeAre8! I gotta say, it was so refreshing to meet Zoe Kalar and witness a new type of 'founder of a social media platform' - for starters, a woman - stand in front of a room full of people and share her vision for new, healthier, kinder type of social media. What stood out most to me was the POWER and STRENGTH in femininity that filled the room. I was so lucky to share the stage with such incredible individuals - Akec Makur Chuot, Penelope Shell, and Jelena Dokic. You guys are amazing x A personal highlight was bringing my amazing PROJECT ROCKIT team, Dot Bertrand and Riley Sanders who do the hard work on these issues every day. WeAre8 is on a mission to create a ‘social home’ platform that protects people from toxic content, harmful algorithms, and ensures that advertising revenue is shared with people, communities, and charities. Download the app, take it for a spin, and tell me what you think! A huge shoutout to Danika Johnston, Luke Robinson, and Luke Middlemiss for pulling off such an inspiring (and last minute!) event. I’m pumped to see what’s next in 2025! #socialmedia #weare8

🌟 Young People Navigating 'The Algorithm': A Must-Read Report 🌟  When 15-year-old Ayush logs onto social media, he wonders: How does it decide what I see? Ayush isn’t alone—this curiosity resonates with millions of young Australians navigating algorithm-driven online spaces, who may soon lose access. In response, we asked over 1,000 young people across the country what their experiences and perspectives were on social media algorithms. The findings reveal a nuanced view of social media:   ✅ 86% report positive impacts, like friendships, skill-building, and self-expression.   ❌ Yet, 52% experience negative impacts, from harmful content to unhealthy comparisons.  But here’s the key: young people want AGENCY and choice. They’re calling for more transparency, control, and tools to shape their own online feeds. As one participant put it, “I would like more control over the content I see and better transparency about how it’s selected.” This report goes beyond safety, focusing on collaboration with young people to design richer, healthier online experiences.  💡 Explore these insights and recommendations in the full Shaping Our Feeds report—plus, check out our new educational video series created by and for young people.  Let’s elevate young people's voices on their experiences and desires for a safer online world, and work towards meaningful change. 🚀  Read our latest blog and full report here 🔗 ➡️ [https://lnkd.in/gjigAfNM] . . . [ID: A sunset image with a silhouette of a teen on their phone, bold white text in the foreground reads "Shaping Our Feeds: Young People's Experiences of Social Media Algorithms." with the PROJECT ROCKIT logo in the top left corner.] #youthvoice #socialmediaban #algorithms #onlinesafety #bullyingprevention #studentwellbeing #PROJECTROCKIT

When 15-year-old Ayush opens his favourite social media app, he sees a constant stream of content to watch, like, share, comment. But what he’s really curious about is how social media platforms actually decide what he sees... Here's a quick peek into PROJECT ROCKIT's new youth-driven project – SHAPING OUR FEEDS – exploring young people's experiences of social media algorithms 👀 I highly recommend watching some of the videos created by our National Youth Collective via this little blog post I've whipped up.

"Now that social media bans have passed, do you think kids will be safer?" 🤔💭 Our CEO Lucy Thomas OAM joined 'The Project' on Network 10 to unpack this question and explore what Australia’s new 'world-leading' #socialmediabans legislation might mean for young people's safety, wellbeing and participation. Lucy shared: "Young people are telling us that they DO want help with the challenges they face online, that they DO want support from adults to have safer online experiences. But many of them actually feel that they're being punished for problems that they didn't create, and being cut off from the incredible benefits that they also enjoy online." Full interview below 🚀 ⬇️

Ever wonder what’s really going on in the digital lives of young people? The Telstra Foundation’s Australian Youth Digital Index (AYDI) has the answers—and trust us, it’s worth a look. The AYDI establishes a benchmark for understanding how young people use digital technology, including how and when they go online, their experiences, attitudes and concerns. We’re stoked to see this report breaking down the reality of life online for young people across the breadth and diversity of communities across Australia. Spoiler alert: it’s not all selfies and TikTok dances. 😉 The AYDI explores young people’s digital engagement across five pillars - Access, Connectivity, Skills, Safety, and Wellbeing. Several key findings and insights emerged from the report: ⚡️ Not all young people have the same opportunities to connect. The digital divide, especially in rural areas, limits access to education, social connections, and essential online tools. ⚡️ Staying connected isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Financial stress can cut young people off from the internet, impacting education, family relationships, and a sense of belonging. ⚡️ Young people are often seen as “digital natives,” but the need for strong digital literacy as technology is developing at an ever-increasing rate. ⚡️ While many young people feel confident navigating safety online, challenges like identifying misinformation, AI scams, and harmful content remain serious concerns. ⚡️ While SAFETY scored highest in the Index, WELLBEING emerged as the lowest pillar, signalling an urgent need to focus on the social and emotional dimensions of digital engagement. PROJECT ROCKIT is proud to support the formation and work of the Telstra Foundation Youth Advisory Council, who brought their #livedexperience to the table, refining the Index and sharing raw, relatable insights into how tech shapes their worlds. ✨ With an overall score of 68, the AYDI provides a roadmap for targeted improvements to create a safer, more inclusive, and empowering digital world for young Australians. ✨ 🔗 Read the full report here and join the conversation on creating meaningful change: [https://lnkd.in/gxaqTFz6] #AustralianYouth #DigitalWellbeing #DigitalSkills #YouthVoice

We owe it to young people to approach these challenges with empathy, care, and respect. Their voices and lived experiences must be at the centre of the conversation, alongside meaningful expert advice. 🤝 We can, and must, do so much better.

ATTENTION SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 📣 🌏 We are seeking secondary school teachers' interested in our #research on how we might improve the digital experience for PROJECT ROCKIT Plus. We are pleased to invite you to participate! PROJECT ROCKIT has partnered with Naarm-based design agency, Today, to run and synthesise the research, and build a new digital experience. WHAT IS THE RESEARCH ABOUT? 💭 PR Plus has great potential to empower educators, but there’s an opportunity to make it even better. We’ve pinpointed key areas for improvement, including making the platform more intuitive, self-serve, and easier to navigate. Now, we need your input! Join us in shaping a more impactful platform and creating an experience that truly works for you. WHEN WILL THE RESEARCH RUN? ⏰ You'll take part in a 45-minute online interview via Zoom, facilitated by a moderator and a notetaker. Sessions will be available on: ➡️ Thursday 28 November — 11:30am-5pm ➡️ Friday 29 November— 11:30-5pm ➡️ Monday 2 December — 11:30-5pm Once you’ve confirmed your interest, you will receive an email from Today with a link to pick a suitable time for you to book a session. HOW WILL THE RESEARCH RUN? 🧑💻 One 45 minute interview conducted online over Zoom There will be two facilitators from Today — Georgie and Cara. There is no need to prepare anything. There are no right or wrong answers. We’re gathering your honest views, so don’t hold back! You’ll be shown concepts of some potential new pages for PR Plus and ask you a couple of questions. Don’t worry, they are fun and easy! You may be asked about your experiences using the PR Plus, how it feels and the types of things you do. YOUR CONSENT & PRIVACY 🔒 You’ll need to consent to participate. Once you confirm your interest, we’ll send a consent form in a follow up email. We will not collect any personally identifying information about you. You can read about Today’s policy here > [https://lnkd.in/gDguTQuG]. There is information in here about how we will use your data. We take participant privacy very seriously and will store any information we collect securely. We will not re-use or sell information, or use it to contact participants for any reason that they haven’t agreed to. REMUNERATION 💰 By taking part in the interview, you'll be remunerated for your time in the form of a digital gift card valued at $50. This will be paid after the completion of the interview.. GET INVOLVED > Please confirm your interest by 📅 Monday, November 25 by emailing Daniel Donahoo at [dan@projectrockit.com.au] . . . [ID: Close up of secondary school teacher with PR Plus Digital Portal on a projector screen, bold white text reads "Secondary School Teachers - Join Our Research" and the PROJECT ROCKIT logo in the bottom right corner.]

Now on the 2025 Victorian Schools Mental Health Menu! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce that our Bullying Prevention workshops are officially available through the Victorian Schools Mental Health Menu! This means Victorian government schools can now use Mental Health Funding to bring our programs into their school community. PROJECT ROCKIT workshops empower students to challenge bullying and discrimination, build empathy, and foster safer and more inclusive environments. With easy access to funding, booking our workshops is simpler than ever—just one form is all it takes to get started! Our programs are a TIER 1 choice for Positive Mental Health Promotion, designed for a Whole School Approach to Mental Health. Because every student deserves the space and support to feel safe, supported, and connected. ✨ Ready to elevate your school’s wellbeing? Learn more at > [https://bit.ly/3VcIZoX] . . . [ID: Our program is now available to purchase from the Victorian Department of Education's - Schools Mental Health Fund & Menu 2025-2027.] #MentalHealthMatters #BullyingPrevention #Education #PROJECTROCKIT #VictorianSchools