PROJECT ROCKIT

The power of being heard: How PROJECT ROCKIT helped Theo to find his purpose

Theo’s^* Story

Engaging with PROJECT ROCKIT helped me to realise that my experiences don’t define me – they can empower me. – Theo

When I was first referred to PROJECT ROCKIT, I was only 13 years old and was barely coping. I was living in an emotionally abusive household and facing serious mental health challenges. As a neurodiverse person, with two siblings also on the spectrum, I often felt invisible – like I had to hold everything together without any support. My dad left me responsible for caring for my younger sister, who was suffering from an ongoing and severe mental illness. It was incredibly hard, but supporting her gave me something powerful: the desire to help other young people experiencing similar situations.

I began to work with my local council’s Youth Centre, and they encouraged me to apply to be a part of the “In Real Life” project with PROJECT ROCKIT. This project was designed to create a digital resource to promote online safety among young people. I really enjoyed this as it gave me a chance to talk to other young people with similar and different experiences.

Now, I am 15 years old, a permanent member of the National Youth Collective, and have been involved with PROJECT ROCKIT for over 2 years. Engaging with PROJECT ROCKIT helped me to realise that my experiences don’t define me – they can empower me. I can use them to help educate others and support young people through their times of struggle. Being a part of this organisation has completely changed the way I think about mental health – and myself. It gave me the opportunity to make a real change for young people like me and, without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Working with this team has given me a purpose in life and a place where I belong.

The support I received from PROJECT ROCKIT inspired me to begin attending school more frequently, and I’ve even set a goal to pursue social sciences, so I can support other young people the way I was supported. I could not be more grateful to the team for giving me a chance to thrive.

About PROJECT ROCKIT

PROJECT ROCKIT is Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice. Since 2006, it has reached more than 900,000 young people through dynamic, youth-led workshops that tackle bullying, build resilience, and spark inclusive leadership – both online and offline. The National Youth Collective is made up of 50 paid lived experience experts aged 12–20, who help shape its direction as advocates, creators and collaborators, ensuring the work really resonates with young people across the country. PROJECT ROCKIT delivers school workshops across Australia, helping young people take real action against bullying, and has delivered fully funded programs to 150,000 young people in 3000 schools facing disadvantage – ensuring when it comes to wellbeing, no young person is left behind. This year, the org is set to have mobilised an all time reach of 1 million young people!