Map Your World: Peninsula Autism Friendship Group

Young Leaders for Change used Map Your World, a curriculum and digital platform to empower young people to have a positive impact in their local communities as they connect nationally and globally with a worldwide movement of next generation changemakers and leaders.  

Facilitators worked with Peninsula Autism Friendship Group (PAFG) members aged 12-25 to redesign Map Your World. The program was run over six days and included extended follow-up support.  

After mapping their environment and consulting with peers and family, the group initially chose a project to make short ‘bite sized’ videos to communicate about the experience of autism and how to better support students. The young participants strongly felt misunderstood by their teachers and their peers at school, and wanted to create something to help their school communities better understand what it is like to live with autism. After the facilitated sessions, group members faced various difficulties during the editing/production process and the project stalled for a period. Our facilitators persisted in communicating with the group to re-energise their valuable project. Over a few months, the project plan was adapted and postcards were created using material and ideas gathered during the Young Leaders for Change program. 

 The participants felt that by using postcards to communicate, they felt safer and less personally revealing, yet were still communicating the same core messages that the group members wanted to share with the community.  

6000 cards have been printed which will be distributed to Mornington Peninsula schools for teacher education and student information, and offer support and a connection pathway for families who have children with autism.