PERU Westmead

Congratulations to Northmead CAPA High School for taking out first place at this year’s Health Hackathon!

Their winning project 'Think Clear, Drive Safe' addressed substance abuse and road safety for young people aged 15–18. The program combines powerful lived-experience stories from a local police officer and a survivor of substance abuse with an interactive driving simulator game, developed by the team overnight.

A fantastic example of innovation, teamwork, and youth-led health promotion. Well done to the entire team!

And that's a wrap on the Health Hackathon for 2026!

We had a fantastic two days supporting thirty-five Year 10 students from Western Sydney to develop a health campaign they can deliver at their school. We would like to give a special shout out to the teachers and careers advisors who saw the value of the Health Hackathon and dedicating time to making this opportunity possible for their students.

We are excited to share the brilliant campaign each school created and announce the winning project with you soon!

We have had a fantastic first day of the Health Hackathon!

Thank you to all our mentors, speed networkers and speakers, the students enjoyed listening to your insights and stories.

We asked to students to share the piece of advice that stood out to them from today, here is what they had to say:

“Do what you feel passionate about, there is always a pathway.”

“There are many pathways to go where you want in the future, not just one solid path that everyone takes.”

“Helping people is a passion and also a privilege.”

We are excited for the students to return tomorrow and present their ideas to the panel.

With 4 days until we launch this year’s Health Hackathon we are reflecting on the winners from last year’s event.

Today we would like to spotlight Model Farms High School (NSW)’s campaign ‘SIP – Sports Injury Prevention’. Through a series of posters, the students highlighted the important steps students can take to avoid injuries when exercising. Check out the posters they made for their student body that were showcased around the school.

We are very excited for this year’s Health Hackathon and look forward to sharing the amazing ideas the students develop with you soon.

What an amazing day with inspiring future leaders!

We recently held a SALSA Peer Leader Workshop with the fantastic Year 10 students at High School. It was wonderful to see how the students demonstrated leadership, teamwork and enthusiasm in every activity.

Here are some things the students had to say about the program:

“I think the SALSA program is very valuable because it teaches us the importance of physical activity and having a healthy diet so that you’re able to live and feel better.”

“The SALSA program was very useful in helping me use my leadership and communication skills to encourage younger students to play sports and build fundamental steps for them to become healthy.”

We are excited to return for the debrief session and hear about their experiences delivering lessons to Year 8!

Less than one week to go until our Health Hackathon!

Today we would like to spotlight one of our two winners from last year’s event, Blacktown Girls High School. The team created an inspiring initiative to raise awareness about the overuse of pain medication among their Year 7 & 8 peers, using posters and yoga sessions to promote healthier alternatives for managing pain and stress.

We are very excited for this year’s Health Hackathon and look forward to sharing the amazing ideas the students develop with you soon.

What an incredible day at the SALSA Educators Workshop 2026!

Last week we trained a highly engaged and enthusiastic group of university students from University of Sydney, UNSW Medicine & Health, and Western Sydney University to become SALSA Educators.

Next week, these future health leaders will begin to facilitate peer leader workshops in Western Sydney high schools to inspire young people to make positive lifestyle choices, build leadership skills, and become agents of change in their communities.

Here are some of our Educator's reflections from the day:

“The workshop was very engaging, I loved how we were involved in the activities.”

“I left with a strong sense of being part of an important and meaningful initiative for high school students.”

“Learning the theory is one thing, but it is of little use if I'm unable to put it into action.”

A special thank you to Daniel and Monica McAlary for joining the workshop, encouraging our students, and for their generous support of the new long-term follow-up study exploring the impact of the SALSA Peer Leader experience into adulthood.

As we get ready to launch the 2026 Health Hackathon next week, we would like to share some highlights from last year’s event.

Check out this video and find out what the Health Hackathon is all about!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgnYmVO6Yj8

Health Hackathon 2025 Through the Health Hackathon, students broaden their awareness of c...

This World No To***co Day, let’s listen to the voices that matter most — young people.

The to***co and va**ng industries continue to target the next generation, but young people are not passive bystanders, they are powerful advocates for change. Our BEAT Peer Leaders from schools across Western Sydney are using their creativity, courage and collective voice to push back against the harms of va**ng and ni****ne addiction.

Prevention works best when young people are part of the solution. By empowering youth leadership, we can challenge industry influence, shift social norms, and create healthier futures.

***coDay WentWest - Western Sydney PHN Western Sydney Health