The Baw Baw Live4Life crew recently celebrated 12 months of impressive milestones at Trafalgar East.
The gathering at The Summit Adventure Park attracted 40 members from seven local secondary schools and concluded the year themed "Friendships Create Conversations".
The local partnership group behind the youth targeted mental wellbeing program also held a meeting to reflect on the year and plan future activities.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Annemarie McCabe said she was proud of council's involvement and appreciated efforts to shine a spotlight on youth mental health.
"The work and efforts made by Live4Life to enhance and improve the mental health of our young people is extremely important work," Cr McCabe said. "Council will support any attempt to improve mental health education and remove the stigma attached to talking about our mental health."
Established in Baw Baw in 2020, Cr McCabe added that she hoped to see Live4Life continue to expand, and encouraged local schools and community groups to get involved.
"Live4Life is the only mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural and regional communities," she said. "Live4Life focuses on teaching students how and when to seek mental health support, and I think that sort of learning is becoming more and more important for our younger generations."
Baw Baw Shire is one of many local organisations supporting Live4Life, which currently operates in 11 rural and regional communities across Victoria, creating positive change and transforming the lives of young people.
As part of the 2023 program, more than 800 local year eight and year 10 students completed teen mental health first aid training, as well as participating in various activities including colour runs, daylight discos, barbecues and weekly lunches for students to help enhance connections and foster positive conversations.