DREAM TEENS REPORT BY KWOK NG (HBSC FINLAND – IN ENGLISH)
1st November 2015
Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon
The national event for the Dream Teens project was, for me, an eye opener on a number of accounts.
Firstly, it gave a perspective from adolescents in Portugal. Being an adult, many years have elapsed since I was a teenager, and sometimes I do not remember what it is like to be a teenager. My recollection as a teenager was filled with memories of sports, exams, moving home and relationships. Even though I continued to do each of these, I am still actively involved in sports, still working in academia, live in another country, and thinking about my family and friends. The way I think about it is different now than if I when I was a teenager. Or at least, I would imagine it to be.
The second realisation in which the Dream Teens project has impacted me was the way the project was structured. As I am lead to believe, the project involves teenagers in the process of advocacy and promotion of important areas in health. It was good to see that Honourable Minister of Health in attendance of the national event. It is an important issue in the way leadership in Portugal is driven, despite the hash financial times. The event demonstrates a degree of democracy and that is really good. Another aspect that impressed me was the way how the dreamers worked together through the social media platform of Facebook. I later heard that Microsoft was sponsoring it, and that is very promising. This is an example in which teenagers from around the country can tackle important health issues in a cost effective way. There were also a number of other modern educational tools, such as video diaries, photos, presentations and short movies. I have been the media advisor for a number of organisations and I am truly impressed with the level of professionalism that the dreamers strived for. The fourth and last aspect which I will write about concerns the way the entire national event was organised. It was so nice to see so many dreamers come together. Dreamers presented, listened and were engaged with each other about issues on their health. Between the presentations, there was active dancing, and after all segments, we had to do it altogether in a routine. This is something which was fun for the observers, such as me, and it is something I may have to try to organise the next time I am responsible for an event. All in all, I included four highlights from the Dream Teens national event, and I could write more if space permitted.
Kwok Ng
HBSC Finland