It's the final count dooown!

Tim has already discussed the changes with the forum, so I'll leave that out of this update.

Instead, I'll let you guys know a little bit more of what we've been doing beyond the construction of that

On the 06/08, I missed a day of university (i'm a baaad boy) so I could go into YouthworX to help out Amanda before our planned meeting in the afternoon where Tim and Rebecca would be joining us.

Amanda and I discussed "beyond friday" when the competition would be over. I wanted to set them up with a solid plan for when we leave, to ensure that this new networking system we have implented still thrives beyond Tim and I's absence!

Amanda has planned a large networking meeting in September that will be housed at Unitec, where over 100 youth organisations will attend for the purpose of being introduced to YouthworX and the networking masterpiece that is the forum!

Amanda and I sat down and together we divised a three-step action plan to advertise before this networking meeting.

The first step: sending off an introductory group e-mail to all youth organisations and contacts within those. Amanda will introduce herself and YouthworX in this e-mail.

The second step: another e-mail a couple of weeks later sent to the same e-mailing list. This e-mail will advertise the network meeting, and invite them to come along. There will also be a short survey attached to this e-mail, encouraging them to discuss what they would like to see in the meeting. This is a meeting of minds where they can all get together and put forward all ideas forward in what will be an open, creative environment.

The third step: A reminder about the meeting that will be e-mailed one or two days before. The e-mail will also make mention about morning tea that will be provided, an delicious incentive that will surely gain attendance! Unitec provides huge computer labs capable of housing many people. Tim and I have agreed that we will come back for this meeting and regularly check in on Amanda to see that things are going fine.

We advised her that keeping up with this networking system is a good thing, and for her not to think of it as something that is a "task". That in order for it to work, she must adopt it into her daily routine - like brushing teeth! She completely agreed and is excited by this.

For tomorrow's meeting, I arranged for Amanda to call people from different youth organisations to come into the hired computer lab in Unitec where we will introduce them to YouthworX and the forum.

We will have them all interact with the forum here and provide a simple tutorial that will explain what it is, how it can benefit them, and how they can use it. By doing this, they will hopefully be creating a buzzing discussion and many others will join in on! If we do that, then we have achieved our target for the day.

Here is the plan for tomorrow that I had Amanda write up, to make our meeting tomorrow more organised:

YouthworX On-line: Let’s make it GO bro!

Sector Contribution Meeting
Where the goal is to activate the forum component of the new YouthworX website through organized contribution from the Youth Sector.

Date: Friday 8 August 2008

Time: 8:45am ~ Meet at Unitec
9:30am ~ Meeting starts

Hosted by: YouthworX + Team Hamburger of the yMedia Challenge

Venue: Room 2014, Unitec, 132 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, North Shore City
(09) 815 4321 x. 5601

Attending: Cam Calkoen YES Ability Achievement Centre
Shannon Mawdsley Sport North Harbour
Jon Shepherd in2it
TBC Youthline
TBC Safer Families

Format: Meet and greet, Seated discussion style;
Introduction to YouthworX
Introduction to yMedia, our project and the benefits of use;
Briefed for today’s contribution;
Seated on Computers and GO;
Morning tea, discussion and feedback.


An e-mail was also sent today to remind people about the meeting.

Stay tuned for more as we enter the last day of the yMedia Challenge. :)

- Kenneth

Just an update

Wow, Wednesday already! and only a couple of days to go until it's all over.

We're working extremely hard to get things done.

On Monday, Tim and I met with YouthworX at their office to give them a progress update. Part of our plan to keep them informed every step of the way so they can see how close we all are to reaching our goal in helping them.

As we are creating and designing a forum for YouthworX, I went online to show Amanda exactly what she can expect from our forum by showing her examples of other forums.

Tim updated her on the progress of the website and forum. He said that he had arranged to meet with his brother (who is making the website) that night to further oversee details on the full construction of the website.

Tim has also been working tirelessly to design and create graphics and buttons for the website and forum.

A main concern raised at this meeting was the issue of people from other youth organisations using the forum.

To prevent the forum from going "stagnant" by not being used, I provided a solution that may encourage youth organisations to use the website and forum for their own advantage.

And this is by inviting representatives from other youth organisations to a meeting and presentation on friday morning at YouthworX.

There, we will show them our fully functioning website and forum, it's features, and we will explain to them all the reasons how this networking system and improved communication tool can benefit all youth organisations, and ultimately the youth themselves.

These are all very busy people. So they need to know how taking time out of their schedules to post on this forum will benefit them. They need an incentive to use it, and to keep using it.

So by kick starting the website and having them interact with the forum, we will hopefully witness the beginning of a buzzing online conversation in this forum as many people log on to willingly share information and resources with others.

Until then, I plan to help Amanda by ringing as many people from Youth Organisations as I can. To get them excited about this brand new service and encourage them that this tool is there for their benefit and use. This is something everyone should be excited about! And they all deserve to know how much help this will be to everyone in the youth sector.

This afternoon, Tim and I will be meeting with Amanda at 3PM. This time she will be coming to the city to meet with us after university. Amanda is going to provide contact information for these youth organisations for me to call, and Tim is going to give us another update on the website and forum construction.

So expect another update soon.

- Kenneth and Tim

Project Briefing Forseeable!

Hey y'all!!

Sorry bout the tardiness of this update post! :S But just to let you know, we've sent off our project brief post haste to out mentor (who is out there somewhere!) to be approved and what not :D so hopefully (defiantly) there will soon be a video overview of what we plan to achieve for YouthworX

Fellowship of the YouthWorx

So, on a rainy afternoon in July Kenneth and Tim decided to venture out into the mist to liaise with the lovely Amanda Judd of YouthWorx.

The whole purpose of us trooping to Takapuna, after approximately 5 hours of university, was to get to know the community group that we would be working with for the next little while.

At four o’clock we met with Amanda, the sole employee of the organisation, to chat, laugh, gossip and talk about how Phoenix and the rights to American Apparel distribution are controlled by Mark Ellis.

We started off with some amazing organic juice and the nibbles provided. We talked about what we were doing in the wondrous world of AUT Communication Studies and what Amanda had got up to before her joining YouthWorx. Topics shifted to clothes and goldfish before we decided that we should probably get down to business and get to understand the organisations purpose and goals, and more importantly what we could do to help.

Amanda joined the organisation only recently, but the whole shindig has been going since 2001. When she arrived she found that the main goal had been put by the wayside in favour of employees working with other youth/council based organisations. Now she wants to pursue the ultimate goal of providing a space where youth based organisations can share information and resources.

A database where organisations can discover what other organisations have in terms of services and objects they are willing to share. So right now YouthWorx’s main audience they are wishing to serve and aid are youth based companies, organisations and charities. They want to involve organisations revolving around sports, performance arts, health, mental health and education, to name a few.

The main challenge that YouthWorx is facing at the moment is finding the ways in which they can create a cyberspace database. They don’t have the resources and abilities to create an attractive space for this to happen in. They also want to start advertising and enticing the youth to use a (foreseeable) website to discover resources and services available, but they want to get a synergy in the youth sector before they advance to this stage. :D

So thats about it! Check back after we do our planning workshop tomorrow....cos honestly....its gunna be the best thing ever! After American Apparel, of course (Amanda will agree!).

Tim and Kenneth

Team Hamburger: What's with the name??!

Every team competing in the competition registers with their own team name.

Our team name is Team Hamburger. So why this name?

Well, as much as we love our burgers, it's more than a devotion to this delicious meal.

We like to think of ourselves as double pattie action squeezed between two hot buns.


... no, not really.

It's just a name that best describes our combined talents and skills. As we're both hoping to give this competition our best, we want to make sure we nourish our client with all that what we have to offer.

By being mates through university, Tim and I have discovered that we are both creative people with a lot of skills to offer. However, while we may be similar to each other in some areas, we are both capable of sharing different perspectives/views.

That helps us observe something at all angles. That's what makes us work as a balanced, professional team.

With the hope of winning aside, I personally think this challenge will be a rewarding experience. I've never participated in something like this before, nor have I worked with a Non-Profit Organisation.

Outside of uni or work, i've never done something this 'meaningful'.

And devoting two weeks of my life to do something like this isn't a big ask.

I'm really determined to help these guys because I wholely believe YouthworX are doing an amazing thing for the community.

All in all, I hope at the end of this I can make a good difference in some peoples lives.

Chur.

- Kenneth