Stay Connected During Schoolies Festival™

South Australian school leavers are making their final preparations before traveling to the Fleurieu Peninsula, with the last school exams taking place today. This November marks the 18th year that Encounter Youth has coordinated the Schoolies Festival™ with Principal Partner, the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) and we urge school leavers to stay connected.

Stay connected during Schoolies Festival™ 2016

“The best way for school leavers to remain well informed and to stay connected is to download the free Schoolies Festival™ App,” said Nigel Knowles, CEO of Encounter Youth. “We encourage school leavers to stick with their mates, but also stay connected digitally during Schoolies Festival™,” he added.

Encounter Youth has the ability to send out real-time push notifications during the Festival via the App to communicate any safety messages and helpful tips to school leavers. The App also includes event and bus timetables, as well as daily, fun interactive checklists and is available to download for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Encounter Youth and their 550 volunteers are well prepared to support school leavers to celebrate positively and there’s something on offer for everyone in the Festival. “With the diverse interests that young people have, each venue within the Schoolies Festival™ offers different themes and unique activities including music, dancing, arcade games, karaoke and much more,” Mr. Knowles said. “The Garden has a hipster vibe where school leavers can watch the action at the Music Bowl whilst playing giant Jenga, Buck Hunter and sipping on coffee. For the school leavers who love carnivals, we have the Flinders Uni Lounge where they can play air hockey, compete on Daytona and snack on a dagwood dog. The Club Tent is a massive, undercover dance venue and the Photo Booth is a crowd favourite where school leavers can take a memento home from the fun of each night,” said Mr. Knowles.

Encounter Youth is providing parents with a tailored factsheet which will be emailed to every ticket holder this afternoon and is also available to download from www.encounteryouth.com.au. “We understand that this can be a very nervous time for parents, and so we want to equip them to talk to their young person about any areas of concern,” Mr. Knowles said. The information sheet covers a range of topics for parents to discuss with school-leavers, including personal safety strategies, and options should something not go to plan.

Motor Accident Commission, Community Engagement Manager, Matt Hanton said MAC was pleased to be Principal Partner of Schoolies Festival™ 2016. “We congratulate the students who have worked hard during the year and appreciate they’re now keen to celebrate, but what we don’t want to see is those celebrations ruined by road trauma,” said Mr. Hanton.

In a Schoolies Festival™ first, MAC is giving school leavers the chance to win a brand new 5 star ANCAP safety rated Holden Cruze. “Providing alternative transport for Schoolies Festival™ attendees is essential to keeping young people off the roads when they may risk driving distracted, fatigued or with alcohol or drugs in their system,” Mr. Hanton said. “The Free MAC Schoolies Festival™ Bus Service is an imperative strategy to ensure the success of the entire South Australian Schoolies Operation,” said Mr. Knowles.

The South Australian Schoolies Operation leads the way in young people’s safety across Australia. School leavers are encouraged to book their Schoolies Festival™ ticket and book their seat on the Free Schoolies Festival™ Bus.