Codee-Lee Down won the opportunity to work alongside Commissioner for Children and Young People Michelle Scott. The prize included meetings with WA Governor Malcolm McCusker and Minister for Youth Robyn McSweeney.
Her outstanding multi-media entry in the competition included ideas to tackle alcohol-related harm and an entertainment discount card available to young people to help prevent risky drinking.
Codee-Lee said she entered the competition because she wanted to make a difference.
“I’ve seen how alcohol can affect people in the local community and I thought I’d enter because if I could change one person’s opinion on drinking than that would make a difference,” she said.
“I learnt so much in just one day with the Commissioner and winning the challenge gave me opportunities that I never would have had.
“I was able to meet with some really influential people like the Governor and Mrs McCusker at Government House and discussed my ideas with them.
“I also spoke with Robyn McSweeney who said she would look into my youth card idea and I got to speak with people at the Drug and Alcohol Office. Everyone I worked with was so nice and made me feel so welcome.”
Codee-Lee’s winning entry included results of a survey of students and teachers that she conducted at school and an interview with an ambulance officer who gave a first-hand account of the harmful effects of teenage drinking.
The country music singer and songwriter also wrote and recorded a song about helping others break free of alcohol dependency.
In addition to spending a day as the Commissioner, Codee-Lee won at iPad 2.
The challenge calls for 12 to 17 year olds in WA to tell Ms Scott what they would do to keep kids and young people safe from the harm caused by alcohol if they were the Commissioner.
Entries from the challenge will help guide the Commissioner’s work in the area of reducing alcohol-related harm.
To read more about Codee-Lee’s entry and other students’ visit the website.
Photo: Commissioner for Children and Young People Michelle Scott worked with Bunbury Senior High School student Codee-Lee Down for a day.
Bunbury Senior High School has taken a leap forward into technology with a trial of laptop computers for students.
On Friday April 1 at the formal opening of the school library and Administration upgrade Dr Elizabeth Constable Minister for Education announced that Bunbury Senior High School would be the first regional school to be allocated a Gifted and Talented Program.
