Challenge:

Wodonga Council identified reducing drug and alcohol related harm as a key priority to creating a safer and more equitable community. 

Solution:

We know the dangers and are constantly being told of the consequences of drug use, but for this brief we wanted to take a step back and think about what drives young people to problematic drug use. 

We used the evidence from a Needs Analysis and asked the teens to flip drugs on their head. We got the teens to think about the things in life that would help them or a friend to avoid developing any problems with drugs. 

These were thought starters, the rest was up to them.

Results:

Based on their understanding and research we placed an open call for entries to design a skateboard deck. A competition led to a gallery exhibition grand opening as the centre of an outdoor event for the entire community. There was a pop-up skate park, skate demos, skate competitions, plus food and music.