Hype 2008 was conducted from February to August 2008. Academics from the School of Public Health involved in the project included Neil Harris, Don Stewart and Michael Leveritt. The project was a collaborative undertaking and included a number of industry partners - Logan City Council, Youth and Family Services, Queensland Health, Fresh Elements and Blackstar Media. The project funding was $56 000.
The project included Hip Hop dance classes at 9 Logan high schools over 10 weeks and a signature dance off event held at Logan Campus of Griffith University.
The available evidence suggests that the best primary prevention strategy for improving the long-term health of children and young people may be creating a lifestyle pattern of regular physical activity that will carry over to the adult years. A community consultation that was conducted in 2005 with the Logan community identified that there were few local physical activity opportunities available, and in particular, there were limited opportunities for young people in Logan that combine dance/physical activity, music and celebration of youth culture.
Dancing is largely viewed as a fun and enjoyable activity and not often presented as a form of physical exercise. However, dancing can represent both a beneficial form of physical activity that also offers additional benefits associated with mental health and social interaction. It can also provide an opportunity to learn about different cultures and beliefs and raise awareness about other communities. This is extremely relevant for the Logan area as there are more than 150 different cultures in the area.
This project will follow on from the success of the pilot project conducted from March - September 2007 that targeted Logan high school students to participate in a hip hop program that provided regular dance workshops to support their learning of the dance styles and routines and a signature Hype event to showcase what they had learnt throughout the project. Initial evaluation results from the pilot project indicates that the project was effective in contributing to an increase in physical activity levels among participants and supporting the development and maintenance of healthy, positive relationships amongst the students. The pilot project evaluation report will be completed and disseminated to key partners when complete.
There has been extensive community support from local Councillors, Logan City Council, Griffith University (Logan Campus), Queensland Health, the Youth and Family Services (Logan City) Inc and neighbouring schools to continue with the Hype concept. Due to this support, the Steering Group are committed to progressing and expanding the Hype project throughout Logan.
Aim
This collaborative project aims to implement a long term comprehensive physical activity program that utilises street dance to increase physical activity levels and contribute to building connectedness and feelings of self worth amongst the Logan youth community. This innovative approach to physical activity builds on work completed in the Logan area over the past 12 months and strengthens the collaborative partnerships already established in the area with the Logan high schools and a broad range of key government and non-government agencies.
Objectives
- To implement a long term culturally relevant physical activity program that utilises street dance to encourage physical activity participation
- To increase physical activity levels amongst participants
- To increase participants self esteem and social competence through project participation
- To integrate diverse ethnic groups into dance
Key project deliverables
- The delivery of a series of dance workshops to participants
- The parallel delivery of talent identification program
- The Hype hip hop signature event