maria blackmore

Elected Member for the East Ward, City of Salisbury representing the suburbs of Salisbury East, Salisbury Heights, Gulfview Heights, Salisbury Park, Salisbury Plain, and Brahma Lodge.

I am a member of the Commission's Youth Advisory Group which is comprised of young South Australians. We have strong links in our communities and are working to make our state one that truly values mental wellbeing. Our focus is the implementation of the SA Mental Health Strategic Plan which works towards providing a whole-of-life, whole-of-community and whole-of-government approach to building, sustaining and strengthening the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians.

* NASSSA is an alliance of 11 Public Schools in Northern Adelaide. These schools are: Craigmore High School * Gawler and District College * Kaurna Plains School * Mark Oliphant College * Northern Adelaide Senior College * Para Hills High School * Parafield Gardens High School * Paralowie R-12 School * Playford International College * Salisbury East High School * and Salisbury High School. It was formed to provide opportunities and career pathways for all students.

National Youth Week (NYW) is the largest celebration of young people in Australia. Thousands of young people aged 12–25 years from across Australia get involved in NYW each year. NYW is an opportunity for young people to share ideas, attend live events, have their voices heard on issues of concern to them, showcase their talents, celebrate their contribution to the community, take part in competitions, and have fun! My role is to work with the state and federal governments to create a well-represented 2015 NYW.

The Salisbury Youth Council is an opportunity for young people to make a difference in the community, to be involved in decision making and tell Council about issues that affect young people. It's made up of 18 young people aged 14 - 25 who represent different schools, community groups, agencies or clubs in Salisbury. The Youth Council also has 6 mentors from key organisations in the community as well as three elected members. As a member of the Blood Donation Advocacy Team in 2013 (one of three teams chosen by the members each year), I was amazed by our impact and couldn't wait to nominate to organise my own project team. During 2014, I was the Director of the 'Love Our City' Environmental Sustainability Project Team, as well as a member of the Youth Events planning working party, Twelve25 Advisory Group representative, Youth Action Plan liasion group, 'Young people and racism' working party member & a volunteer of many events.

Maybe it's the unforgettable shenanigans, the snazzy attire, the uncontrollable laughter, or it could be the incredible people that I've met along the way, that make Youth Parliament a program I'll always cherish. Run by the YMCA South Australia, Youth Parliament gives young people a platform to raise their concerns on issues that they care about! The program spans around 6 months, with applicants between the ages of 14-25 invited from all over South Australia. However, the pinnacle of YP is residential week where the Youth Parliamentarians are welcomed into the Chambers of Parliament House to ignite fiery debate on the Bills they've worked so hard towards. The Youth Governor is elected by the participants of the previous year's program and becomes a crucial part of the Taskforce team between and during sittings – it is their responsibility to be the voice and face of the program, representing the participants and often carrying Public Relation and Media responsibilities.

South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE)