THOSE jumping in the Bathurst High quadrangle at lunchtime on Friday were undoubtedly stars.
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Students, staff and local police officers tested their legs as they performed star jumps in bursts to support youth mental health and raise awareness about the PCYC.
PCYC NSW CEO Dom Teakle, who travelled to Bathurst for the occasion, said the PCYC's Star Jump Challenge is being held to raise funds for a new program called GRIT (Growth Mindset, Resilience, Intervention for Teenagers).
"It's about giving young people the tools to build resilience, but also to teach them about the relationship between health and wellbeing and food and mood," he said.
With enough funds, the plan is to roll out the program among the 65 PCYC clubs in the state, he said.
He said the key message he hoped to pass on was that the "PCYC is a safe place for young people".
"We know through studies and consultations with our youth that during COVID, what was missing was that peer-to-peer support. You can't get that through a phone," he said.
Bathurst High students had a mufti day on Friday (with a gold coin donation), staff had a morning tea and a barbecue was put on at lunchtime to raise funds for the cause.
IN OTHER NEWS AROUND BATHURST:
"We as a school jumped on board really quickly when I was approached by PCYC to be part of their fundraising venture to put mental health at the forefront of everyone's minds," principal Ken Barwick said.
"We have a very strong connection with our local PCYC. They run the Fit to Learn program [which helps students prepare a resume and get a first-aid certificate, among other things] and they support us with a range of activities that we take down to their centre on a weekly basis.
"And the Bathurst police alone, let alone the PCYC, really support public high schools no end."
Mr Barwick said he values the school's relationship with local police.
"What I love most about this as a principal is that when I was growing up, young children were scared of police officers," he said.
"What we're doing these days with these connections with programs is bringing police in to talk to kids so they can get to know them as real people and supportive people in the community."
