Latest Announcements
Policy Position: Commissioner calls on government to provide leadership on children and young people’s health
Currently South Australia lacks an overarching or unifying vision for children and young people’s health, and therefore a way of aligning cross government and community efforts to a common set of goals and actions. Our future depends on investing...
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South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, will host the 2024 group of 150 new members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) who will meet at the Adelaide Festival Centre today (Friday 22...
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Commissioner reports no real improvement on child rights in SA
Commissioner Helen Connolly has today released her fourth annual series of reports on South Australia’s progress toward meeting recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The evidence suggests that despite...
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Commissioner Connolly calls on government to invest in school excursions to support SA families doing it tough
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has today released her Anti-Poverty Week Statement calling on the South Australian government to provide financial support to enable all students in SA to participate in...
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South Australian students call for comprehensive mental health support on World Mental Health Day
This World Mental Health Day, members of the South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) are calling on the South Australian Government to remove barriers for high school students to access pools, gyms, leisure centres and fitness...
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Is SA’s mental health care system ‘fit for purpose’ asks Commissioner?
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Commissioner Helen Connolly, is calling on the government to position mental health care within a rights-based framework that has relevance and usefulness to the lives of children and young people living in...
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Safe and Sound – How children and young people view and use public transport
The South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has released her report Safe and Sound - views and experiences of young people on public transport. In 2022, the Commissioner surveyed over 1,000 young South...
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Statewide Civics & Citizenship online resource portal launched
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly has launched a new online platform to serve as a one-stop resource for all things Civics and Citizenship in South Australia. One of the things children and young people have repeatedly...
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Best Interests – The experiences of children and young people within the child protection system
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has launched her report Best Interests - Listening to children and young people's experiences within the child protection system. The report highlights the importance of...
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Commissioner’s Small Grant Program 2023 – NOW OPEN!
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has launched her Small Grants Program for 2023 and invites community groups, arts organisations, sporting clubs and local government to apply for small grants of up to...
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High Stakes High School – what needs to change for SA’s Year 12 students
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has launched her latest report: High Stakes High School – The experiences of South Australian Year 12 students. The report is the result of a series of face-to-face...
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Commissioner notes ‘little change’ on Child Rights on SA despite increased recognition of what’s needed
Commissioner Helen Connolly has today released her annual series of reports on South Australia’s progress toward meeting recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The recommendations relate to concerns the Committee has in relation to Australian children and young people.
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Space to Dream Exhibition Opens at Space Discovery Centre
The Commissioner’s 2022 Space to Dream Exhibition opens today (1 December 2022) at the Australian Space Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen. The exhibition features 20 designs chosen from more than 92 entries received from 32 schools across the State...
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Over 13,868 ‘Tweens’ told their Commissioner what matters most
The Things That Matter 3 is the latest report to be released by SA Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly. It is the third in the series and examines the findings from the Commissioner’s ‘Tell Helen’ Student Voice Postcard...
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Commissioner funds dozens of community projects to help normalise menstruation in SA
Commissioner Helen Connolly has chosen this year’s National Menstrual Hygiene Day to announce the recipients of her 2022 Period Poverty Community Grants program. She is also calling for artists to design a Menstrual Mural...
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Commissioner seeks to amplify the voices of children and young people living with disability
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has launched her latest report: From Checkbox to Commitment - what children and young people living with disability said about identify, inclusion and independence. The...
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Members of Commissioner’s new SA SRC meet for the first time
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, is hosting the first face to face meeting of members of the State’s newly established SA student representative council (SA SRC). The inaugural meeting will take place at...
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New state-wide SRC seeking 100 SA school students
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has today launched a new model for South Australian school students that will ensure they have a voice in policy and decision making that is led by young people...
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Commissioner cautiously optimistic about Children’s Rights
Commissioner Connolly has released her annual series of reports on South Australia’s progress toward meeting recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child today. Although progress in some areas still has some way...
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Commissioner’s Space to Dream Exhibition opens at Australian Space Discovery Centre
Commissioner Connolly has today announced the opening of the 2021 Space to Dream Exhibition at the Australian Space Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen. The exhibition features 21 designs chosen from entries received from more than 2,180 South...
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Young South Australians repeatedly call for climate change action
Climate change is consistently in the top 5 issues South Australian children and young people raise with their Commissioner, Helen Connolly. It is an issue they care deeply about and one that is causing them considerable concern and...
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Commissioner surveys young people about COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has today released a summary report of key findings from a survey of young people aged 12-18 years about their views on COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions. As COVID-19...
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Every LGBTQIA+ student has the right to feel safe at school – no exceptions
Commissioner Connolly has chosen Wear It Purple Day to help highlight the need to create safe, supportive and inclusive environments for all LGBTQIA+ young people attending South Australian religious and...
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National Period Summit an Australian First
Commissioner for Children and Young People is hosting over 100 representatives from organisations around Australia to talk about periods and menstruation at what is Australia’s first National Period Summit. Presented...
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More than babies and bodies, young people want 21st Century sex education
Commissioner Helen Connolly, has today released Sex Education in South Australia – a report on the relevance of the sex education being taught to children and young people across the State. The...
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Commissioner launches yChange to re-engage SA young people with their citizenship
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, and the Parliament of South Australia launched yChange at Parliament House today. yChange is South Australia’s first curriculum aligned, project based, action civics resource for...
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Action on menstruation matters much more than we think says Commissioner
Commissioner Connolly has today released Menstruation Matters – an in-depth exploration of the impact menstruation has on South Australian school aged children and young people who have periods. As one of the first reports to explore the...
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‘Cover Books in Nutella’ and other creative ways to encourage children to read
Commissioner Helen Connolly has today launched her latest report with a title that comes direct from a child’s imagination. Cover Books in Nutella was one of many fun ideas children contributed by children on ways to encourage them to read...
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Commissioner’s Systems Thinking Challenge a World First
Commissioner Helen Connolly has today launched Zoom Out - a systems thinking challenge believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Designed to equip young South Australians with the skills they’ll need to be successful 21st Century...
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Let’s stand with SA young people says Commissioner
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has chosen International Human Solidarity Day (20 December, 2020) to launch a new set of resources that highlight the views of young people. Commissioner Connolly is calling on SA adults...
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Commissioner reports steady progress on SA child rights but no time for complacency
Commissioner Helen Connolly has today released a series of Progress Reports on South Australia’s progress on child rights. Launched to coincide with International Human Rights Day (10 December), the Progress Reports cover six separate child rights...
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Commissioner to speak at international conference on menstrual dignity amongst a push for FREE sanitary products in schools
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, has been calling upon women leaders in South Australia’s Parliament to get in step with their female counterparts at the state, national and international level, and work together to make...
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More than 8,400 SA ‘Tweens’ share what matters to them most
The Blame Game is the latest report released by Commissioner Helen Connolly examining the findings from her School Exclusions project in which 400 South Australian children and young people and their families, shared their views on the impact of...
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Commissioner Opens Space to Dream ‘Design Thinking’ Challenge Exhibition at MOD
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, today announced the opening of an exhibition at MOD. showcasing the top-rated entries for her inaugural Space to Dream ‘Design Thinking’ Challenge in which she challenged South Australian...
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Commissioner calls for SA leaders to advocate for FREE sanitary products
What do Queensland, Scotland and New Zealand have in common? Women leaders who have advocated for the introduction of free sanitary products for their citizens. Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly is calling upon women...
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It’s time to look through the eyes of the child to see what they say makes an organisation child safe
On the 30th anniversary of National Child Protection Week (6 – 12 September, 2020) Commissioner Helen Connolly has released ‘Trust is a Must’ – what does it take to be child friendly and child safe?’ The Commissioner’s latest report examines...
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Play critical to teenage health and wellbeing new report finds
Commissioner Connolly has today released a new report titled ‘Press Play’. The report examines the findings of a survey of 500 South Australian young people aged 13 – 18 on the importance of play in their lives. While much research focuses on the...
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Young People not the face of the pandemic but maybe the eyes and ears
Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly has today released Reflections on COVID-19 in which in their own words, South Australian young people reflect on the impact of the coronavirus on their world and their futures. More than 300...
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Young people and families ask for new approach to careers education and work experience
Commissioner Connolly has today released a suite of reports examining careers education for South Australian school students. The reports are the culmination of a two-year in-depth examination into what young people need to successfully transition...
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Esports and gaming essential to building 21st century communities that young people will want to live in will
Commissioner Connolly has chosen Youth Week to launch her latest report - Community Building in the 21st Century which examines how collaborative gaming can be deployed as a youth engagement strategy to build the kind of communities young people...
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Commissioner launches new space for SA’s young people – hub.ccyp.com.au
Young people living in South Australia have a new place to visit. It's called hub and it's been created by the Commissioner for Children and Young People to enable her to continue a critical dialogue with South Australia's young people around the...
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The voice of experience – the young people asking for change in SA’s Youth Justice system
Young people aged 14 – 21 years, all with a lived experience of South Australia’s youth justice system, have recommended eight key changes to significantly improve the system from their point of view. The recommendations form part of Making Change...
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Stay focused on regional young people while the future is being re-imagined
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, says that young people in Regional South Australia are looking for opportunities to participate in building the sustainable future of their local communities. Given the coronavirus and...
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Children’s Laureate meets Children’s Commissioner in a celebration of SA children’s creativity
Australian Children’s Laureate, Ursula Dubosarsky arrives in Adelaide today at the invitation of South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly. The author of over 60 books for children and young adults, Ms Dubsarsky...
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Commissioner welcomes Professor Colleen McLaughlin to Adelaide
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly is pleased to welcome education expert and author, Professor Colleen McLaughlin PhD. Commissioner Connolly invited Professor McLaughlin to Adelaide, after hearing firsthand from many...
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Former NASA astronaut helps Commissioner launch new Digital Challenge into SA classrooms today!
Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly has today launched her new Space to Dream Digital Challenge – the latest in her digital learning journey for South Australia’s children and young people. Space to Dream is all about...
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South Australia’s young global leaders devise their own action plan for the 2030 SDGs
Young South Australians have a plan for the eradication of poverty by 2030, devised in collaboration with the Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly and UN Youth SA. It contains recommendations from young people about what they...
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Over 19,000 SA children learnt how to speak robot this year in CCYP’S Digital Challenge
COMMISSIONER CONNOLLY CONGRATULATES ALL SA CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN HER INAUGURAL DIGITAL CHALLENGE. PARTICIPATION IN THE 'LEARN TO SPEAK ROBOT' DIGITAL CHALLENGE WAS ROBUST WITH AN ESTIMATED 19,026 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN...
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First Port of Call Report – November 2019
WE MUST DO BETTER FOR OUR TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE HELEN CONNOLLY, HAS TODAY LAUNCHED HER FIRST PORT OF CALL REPORT. THE REPORT FOLLOWS CONSULTATIONS WITH TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE...
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Leave No One Behind – CCYP Poverty Report
A STATE OF POVERTY FOR SA CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IS 'NOT ACCEPTABLE' SAYS COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE HELEN CONNOLLY HAS TODAY LAUNCHED HER POVERTY REPORT "LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND". THE REPORT IS THE RESULT OF...
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Calling all young creatives!
C3 POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION NOW OPEN. COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE HELEN CONNOLLY, HAS TODAY LAUNCHED HER INAUGURAL C3 POSTER COMPETITION WITH $500 IN TOTAL PRIZE MONEY UP FOR GRABS. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 14 TO 22 YEARS...
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Public transport service ‘not okay’ say children and young people in SA
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE DELIVERY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES TO THEM IMPROVED. THEY HAVE TOLD THE COMMISSIONER THEY SOMETIMES FEEL UNSAFE AND UNWELCOME ON BUSES, TRAMS AND TRAINS AND THAT THEY WORRY ABOUT...
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‘EndoBox’ to make young people’s lives better
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DIGITAL ENREPRENEURS DEMING FACTOR WERE AWARDED $15,000 IN GRANT FUNDING AT LAST NIGHT'S D3 DIGITAL CHALLENGE PITCH AND AWARDS NIGHT. ONE OF FIVE TEAMS COMPETING IN THIS YEAR'S DIGITAL CHALLENGE, THEY WILL USE THE FUNDS TO DEVELOP...
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New Unplugged Digital Challenge for Early Learners
COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE HELEN CONNOLLY HAS TODAY LAUNCHED AN EARLY LEARNERS' EXTENSION TO HER DIGITAL CHALLENGE: EARLY LEARNING UNPLUGGED. THE EARLY LEARNER VERSION HAS BEEN SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR PRESCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (ROUGHLY...
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SA’s Aboriginal young people would like more say on their future
COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, HELEN CONNOLLY SAYS SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S ABORIGINAL YOUNG PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A GREATER SAY ON MATTERS THAT IMPACT ON THEM. THEY'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS THAT STRENGTHEN THEIR VOICE AND...
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SA’s Young people determined to leave no-one behind
Commissioner for Children and Young People SA partnered with UN Youth SA to deliver the Poverty Summit 2019.
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$10,000 in Carclew arts funding distributed by SA children
Carclew Futures; a team of ten creative thinkers aged 12-15 years who have been supported to distribute $10,000 of arts funding.
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Low score for work experience
Surveys of business, schools, community groups and students conducted by the SA Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Committee for Adelaide show the secondary school system has major flaws, failing to deliver for businesses, work...
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Commissioner launches getaroundit_sa to showcase young SA thinkers, makers and doers
Profiles of young SA thinkers, makers and doers aged 14 – 22 are pegged to a backyard clothesline to create a new gallery of inspiration and awareness. The new clothesline gallery is the centrepiece of getaroundit_sa, and initiative of the Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly
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Young people know what will deliver a more youthful Adelaide – if only we’d ask them
THE COMMISSIONER IS ASKING LEADERS, DECISION MAKERS AND PUBLIC POLICY INFLUENCERS TO WORK WITH HER TO ESTABLISH A YOUTHFUL CITY FRAMEWORK THAT CAN DRIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE SO THAT THEIR OPINIONS WILL BE FORMALLY CAPTURED AND CONSIDERED...
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Rising popularity of gaming in schools prompts esports research study
THE COMMISSIONER IS COLLABORATING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN ESPORTS ASSOCIATION (AESA) AND RMIT UNIVERSITY ON A RESEARCH STUDY INTO THE IMPACT OF ESPORTS IN OUR SCHOOLS. ESPORTS, AS DISTINCT FROM RECREATIONAL GAMING, REFERS TO GAMING PRACTICIES THAT HAVE...
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Commissioner urges leaders to listen to South Australia’s regional young people
THE COMMISSIONER SPOKE WITH MORE THAN 600 OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S REGIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHAT MATTERS MOST TO THEM Read the full article here – Media Release – 25 February 2019: Commissioner urges leaders to listen to...
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SA’s young migrants and refugee youth leading on ways to shape their futures
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly and Australian Migrant Resource Centre CEO, Eugenia Tsoulis, release their Leading for our Future Youth Symposium Report today. The report captures the ideas explored at the Youth Symposium held in October last year, where more than 300 South Australian migrant and refugee young people gathered to discuss the challenges they face accessing employment pathways, and importantly, the solutions they have for improving them.
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Commissioner challenges children to learn how to speak robot
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN ARE CHALLENGED TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK ROBOT IN 2019 Read the full article here - Media Release - 05 February - Commissioner challenges children to learn how to speak robot.
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Children’s Commissioners and Guardians (ANZCCG) convene in Adelaide
Australian and New Zealand Children’s Commissioners and Guardians (ANZCCG) will be in Adelaide next week for their bi-annual conference. Read the full article here - Media Release - 09 November - Commissioners and Guardians meeting
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Mid Murray
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams -Media Release - Regional Tour - Mid Murray
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Whyalla
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams -Media Release - Regional Tour - Whyalla 04...
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Barossa
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour - Barossa - Media Release 09 Aug...
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Ceduna
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour - Ceduna - Media Release 20 Jun...
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Yorke Peninsula
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour - Yorke Peninsula - Media...
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Capturing a piece of time at Elizabeth South Primary
Students from Elizabeth South Primary School marked a moment in history when they buried a time capsule at their school grounds as part of a project for the SA History Festival; a project sponsored by the Commissioner for Children and Young...
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Adelaide Hills
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour - Adelaide Hills - Media Release...
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Murray Bridge
Commissioner Helen Connolly continues her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" asking young South Australians: "What are your hopes and dreams for the future?" Read the full article: Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour - Murray Bridge - Media Release...
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Democracy in Action Launch
The Commissioner for Children and Young People announces the launch of Democracy in Action a project which highlights young South Australians political participation. Read the full article: Democracy in Action - Launch - 1 Mar 2018
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Hopes and Dreams Regional Tour – Riverland
Commissioner Helen Connolly kicks off her regional tour "Hopes and Dreams" with a trip across the Riverland. Over 2018, Commissioner Connolly will be asking children and young people across Regional SA: "What are your hopes and dreams for the...
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CCYP Being Healthy
Commissioner Helen Connolly asks Mid North children "What does being healthy mean to you?" Read the full article: CCYP Being Healthy - Media Release 09 Nov 2017
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Winner announced for the SA’s Commissioner for Children and Young people logo competition
Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly is excited to announce the winner of her logo design completion Soraya Proude, a young aspiring artist from the town of Port Lincoln has taken out the award. Read the full article: CCYP...
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SA’s Commissioner for Children and Young people is listening to the young voices of Port Lincoln
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, was appointed recently and is responsible for promoting and advocating for the rights, needs and wellbeing of children and young people across South Australia. Read the full...
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SA’s Commissioner for Children and Young people is listening to the young voices of Port Augusta
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, was appointed recently and is responsible for promoting and advocating for the rights, needs and wellbeing of children and young people across South Australia. Read the full...
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SA’s Commissioner for Children and Young people is giving the young voices of Port Pirie, a chance to be heard.
The Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, was appointed recently and is responsible for promoting and advocating for the rights, needs and wellbeing of children and young people across South Australia. Read the full article:...
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