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

Taking Care of Business

From 2:30 to 5:30 today, Tim and I attended the yMedia 'Briefing Workshop' held at Microsoft's office building in Auckland's viaduct (along with other teams and community groups). While we were all briefed on the processes, terms and conditions of the competition, the focus of today was to collaborate (this was the word of the day) ideas and work on a two-week action plan with Amanda and Rebecca, who are part of our chosen community group YouthworX.





With chocolate chip cookies, Toffee Pops, Moro bars, Crunchie bars and Just Juice to fuel us, we all sat around a table discussing not just their wants for their organisation, but the very passion that drives them to work for their organisation. Tim and I got to learn a great many interesting things about Amanda and Rebecca that steps beyond their work. We all talked about who we are, what we do, and aspirations of where we would like be in future. Through talking we got to know and understand each other further.

We find ourselves inspired by their drive and determination to build a stronger link of communication between the youth organisations, to ultimately improve services to the youth of the North Shore. It makes us want to help them even more!

As we listened to the needs and wants of YouthworX further, Tim and I pitched possible network and digital solutions to help improve the running of their organisation. We ran through many ideas, working out pros and cons of each idea and trying to figure out what works best for them. Amanda and Rebecca were mostly supportive of the solutions we provided. We proposed our solutions to the yMedia Mentors Adele and Sheena who both constructively offered us advice on our ideas and how to approach these two weeks wisely.

We were both flattered that we already received positive feedback from Amanda and Rebecca, who said they're impressed that we're able to clearly understand the purpose of YouthworX, and what they want to achieve with it. That was a compliment to our confidence and gives us that extra bit of motivation we need, knowing that we're doing good so far. It was evident in today's workshop that the level of clear communication and understanding between the four of us is already working phenomenally. It provides great hope for all of us working together on this project.

After today, things are shaping up to look great. Having made a plan of action, set meeting dates with YouthworX and organised a list of tasks to follow according to a strict time table over the next couple of weeks, all we can say is;

"Sorted." ;)

- Kenneth and Tim

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