Published on 25 March 2024
Learn How to Adult
The City of Onkaparinga’s popular How to Adult series for 15–25-year-olds is back by popular demand from Wednesday 27 March, with sessions covering relationships, rights as a renter and more.
The free Onkaparinga Youth-run series, which started in 2019 to much fanfare and international headlines, was developed following an idea from an Onkaparinga Youth Committee participant who saw a gap in information for those looking to smooth their transition from teen to independent adult.
The initial seven-week course included sessions on working, wellbeing, housing, government payments, finances and contracts, and maintaining your car, but the topics this year have been revamped based on feedback from young people.
The first How to Adult session in 2024 – held at Reynella’s Base 10 Youth Centre from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday 27 March – is all about relationships.
It’s a topic that City of Onkaparinga Team Leader Youth, Jenna Bloom, says is something the community has said they want to know more about.
“We’ll chat about consent, how to recognise coercive control, dealing with online harassment and learning about intervention orders,” she says of the session, which requires a free booking and is filling up fast.
“We’ll discuss the benefits of setting healthy boundaries and communication, with guest speakers including representatives from Legal Services Commission and Females Fighting Forward.
“I encourage everyone aged 15–25 to come and learn about these super important topics while enjoying some pizza and meeting new people.”
Unlike previous iterations of the program, Jenna says in 2024 you don’t need to sign up for the entire series, and participants can register for the individual sessions that interest them.
“We’re finalising details for the rest of the 2024 program as we speak, with sessions planned at various locations around the City of Onkaparinga,” she says.
“Other topics we’ll be covering include renters rights, navigating MyGov, car maintenance and setting goals/healthy habits to name a few.
“The topics are all based on feedback we’ve received from young people in Onkaparinga, who have told us what real-life skills they wish they had but never learnt.”
Book your free spot in the How to Adult: Relationships session now, and stay tuned for information on the rest of the 2024 program by signing up for the Onkaparinga Youth email newsletter.