A new program aimed at helping local teenagers through the twists and turns of adolescent life will begin in Term 4 at the Margaret River Community Centre.
Led by qualified counsellor Almendra Travaglini, yoga and silks teacher Jimena Bilancetti and artist and yoga teacher Delfina Monteverde, the six week course will cover a range of topics during sessions designed to let teenagers of all walks of life connect, express and learn more about the process of growing up.
“We want to get the kids to have better skills and resources – anything they need at this time in their lives when so many different things are happening, they’ve got new friends, there’s school, parents, relationships, drugs, sex… all of those talks that have to be had,” Ms Travaglini said.
“They do have these talks in school and there is education there, but this is more about a closer, smaller group, and we are integrating this into a number of activities, so it’s not just sitting down and talking and listening.”
The ‘Get Real’ course will offer two sessions a week, one for girls and one for boys, to allow for more open expression around topics that can be difficult to talk about in front of peers.
The sessions will comprise different activities such as yoga and art, allowing teens to gain an appreciation for positive body image, self care, and expression through creativity.
“One thing we know for sure is that people express themselves in so many different ways, and people also understand themselves through different processes, one size does not always fit everyone,” Ms Travaglini said.
“We want to provide a safe and responsible place for kids to be able to ask questions, talk about the things they need to talk about, and just have some fun as well.
“One of the parents who has already signed her daughter up was telling me that her daughter is her best friend, they get on really well, they have great communication… she said ‘my daughter tells me everything, but not everything.”
Ms Travaglini said the program was not necessarily for teens experiencing struggles.
“It’s very much a preventative measure, there are a lot of things affecting kids in this part of the world and we would love to be giving them the chance to discover who they are and how they deal with things maybe even before those issues arise.”
Get Real is open to teenagers aged 12-15 years, and will run for 6 weeks in Term 4. Limited spaces are available, $120 per person.
Sessions will run at the MR Community Centre Monday (girls) and Thursday (boys) afternoons.
An information session will be held at 4.30pm on Thursday September 20 at the Margaret River Community Centre for parents keen to find out more about the course.
For more info contact Jimena (0437 775 036) or Almendra 0491 268 037.
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
