The Peace Trust is pleased to announce that Laura Johnson will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 Peace in Schools Program (PISP).
In response to feedback from Schools, the Peace Trust approached Laura because of her enthusiastic and informed advocacy for mental health services and supports for young people in the State.
Laura’s youth, gender, regional roots and passion for mental health will resonate with school communities and inspire students and staff to consider and explore the 2024 Peace Festival theme: “Peace… it starts with me’’.
Laura Johnson – Profile
Laura Johnson is an extraordinary young person who actively works to improve the lives of others. She lives in Smithton, is a proud palawa woman and a lived-experience advocate in mental health and suicide prevention.
At the age of 14, Laura was sexually assaulted. While trying to deal with her own mental health issues resulting from her trauma, she supported her sister who was diagnosed with a severe eating disorder.
In 2022, Laura was a finalist for Young Tasmanian of the Year, won the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Community Network’s Young Person LiFE Award, and was a finalist for the Youth Family Community Connections awards.
As a 2024 winner for the ABC Heywire Trailblazer program, Laura presented her story, and that of her organisation THEIRS (Talk, Hear & Help, Educate, Inform, Refer & Support), to the Australian Parliament alongside some of her volunteer members.
After identifying, and experiencing a gap within the mental health sector, Laura successfully petitioned the Tasmanian Government to provide improved resources. Using these resources she started the community-based organisation, THEIRS, to promote good mental health and well-being, and knowledge about local support services in the community.
Laura is currently completing her Honours degree in social work at the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus where she is University Campus President. She volunteers with Headspace’s youth reference group and is the youth representative for Tas Networks and the Family & Friend Representative Program.
She is co-chair of the North-West Consortium and a member of the Mental Health Council Tasmania and the Suicide Prevention Tasmanian National board.
She has extensive training in suicide prevention and mental health, and has spoken at, and organised, a number of events, panels, school presentations, forums, research studies and interviews.
Laura knew that the changes she needed to make in the world could not come from a place of anger. She understood that by approaching it in a peaceful manner she could have greater impact, reach more people, gain more opportunities, and become a voice for Tasmanian youth with the mental health and suicide prevention issues that impact them.
Accessibility: It is at the digression of individual schools if these sessions are available to the public. Please check the accessibility with the participating school.