The 2021 Young Leaders have developed ‘Beyond the Surface’, a strengths-based awareness campaign that aims to combat negative body image and promote self-acceptance among young people.
Through extensive research, the Young Leaders discovered that concerns relating to body image are prevalent amongst young people in our community, and identified that there was a lack of culturally relevant resources to raise awareness of this issue. Wanting to address this gap, the Young Leaders designed a campaign that provides a well-rounded, inclusive outlook on body image. The resulting advert features a breadth of young people – of different genders, ethnicities and faith-backgrounds, reflecting the rich diversity of the Greater Dandenong community.
The Young Leaders hope to spread the message that ‘beauty goes beyond the surface’ – it is not just our physical appearance, but also our individual qualities, skills and passions that make us wonderful and unique. We encourage you to watch the video and reflect: 'What is it that you love about yourself'?
Social Media Toolkit
The Young Leaders have also developed a social media toolkit to assist individuals and community organisations to help spread their message, by sharing campaign materials. We encourage community members to use this guide to share the included resources, to help promote body positivity amongst Greater Dandenong’s youth.
Download the Social Media Toolkit – 2.8MB
To find out more information
For more information and support relating to body image, check out the Butterfly Foundation. They have a heap of helpful resources, as well as free individual support from trained counsellors. You can chat online, via email, or contact their National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (available every day, 8am - midnight).
To find out more about the ‘Beyond the Surface’ project, please contact Youth and Family Services on:
Phone: 9793 2155
Email: youthservices@cgd.vic.gov.au
Facebook: cgdyouthservices
Instagram: @GreaterDandenongYouthServices
