Parents across the New England are being offered a crash course in raising teenagers in the smartphone age, with Presbyterian Ladies’ College Armidale opening its doors to the wider community for a forum on the pressures facing young people today.
The 2026 Community Forum, titled Pimples, Parties, Puberty and Everything In Between, will be held at the PLC Armidale Astra Arts Centre on Wednesday, 12 August, from 5.30pm for a 6pm start. Both in-person and Zoom tickets are available through Humanitix, and the event is open to all adults across the New England region, regardless of where their children go to school.
The panel brings together professionals working on the frontline of child development, education, law enforcement and family law. Amazing Me educator Rowena Thomas will explore how parents can have positive conversations about relationships, sex and consent, and the impact increasingly early exposure to pornography is having on young people’s expectations and behaviours.
Rebecca Jackson, who has 15 years’ experience in child protection with NSW Police and works with the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command at Surry Hills Police Station, will provide insight into online grooming, image-based abuse and the ways seemingly innocent online interactions can escalate into criminal exploitation.
Family and children’s lawyer Chelsea Schaefer will unpack the legal realities surrounding consent, intimate images, parties, alcohol and drugs, and the responsibilities of both young people and parents. College Principal Mrs Nicola Taylor will join the panel for an audience Q&A at the conclusion of the evening.
Mrs Taylor said supporting parents was an important part of supporting young people.
“Young people today are growing up in a world that is more connected than ever before, yet many are also facing unprecedented pressures,” Mrs Taylor said.
“Parents often tell us they don’t know where to start or they’re worried about saying the wrong thing.
“This forum isn’t about creating fear. It’s about replacing uncertainty with knowledge founded in fact. By bringing together experts from psychology, education, policing and the law, we trust parents leave feeling informed, empowered and better equipped to support their children.”
Mrs Taylor said the college had long viewed hosting community forums as a service to the wider region.
“At PLC Armidale, we believe schools have an important role to play beyond educating students,” she said.
“When families are well supported, young people are better placed to flourish. That’s why this event is open to everyone in our community, regardless of where their children attend school.”
Bookings for the Pimples, Parties, Puberty and Everything In Between Community Forum can be made through Humanitix at https://events.humanitix.com/plc-armidale-2026-community-forum
Something going on in your part of the New England people should know about? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@netimes.com.au