The Copmanhurst skate park was buzzing with energy last Sunday week when 80 young people participated in the Circus in Education workshop as part of the Clarence Valley Council’s Out of the Box program. The program is aimed at engaging young people in a range of free and interactive workshops and launched at Coutts Crossing and Copmanhurst skate parks over the weekend. Council’s community development officer (youth) Giane Smajstr, said highlights included a massive hula-hoop workshop with around 40 kids participating at once, and a great human pyramids session with many enthusiastic participants. Workshop facilitator, Jacqui Levy, said there was plenty of positive interaction between parents, their children and the community. “Many participants remarked how wonderful it was to have so many people out together,” she said. Over the next year 122 Out of the Box workshops will be delivered across the Clarence Valley. Locations include Coutts Crossing, Copmanhurst, Yamba, Wooli and Grafton. For more information about workshop locations visit www.clarence.nsw.gov.au or the Clarence Valley Youth Facebook page. Exciting new additions to the program this year include the Balun Budjarahm cultural experience, Circus in Education and African drumming and culture workshops. Mrs Smajstr said The Out of the Box program was an incredible community resource unique to the Clarence Valley. “The program gives young people the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of exciting, free and interactive workshops including laser skirmish, Minecraft, t-shirt design, weaving, jewelry making, circus tricks, geocache, drumming, cultural experience, computer animation, plaster creations, and printing making,” she said. The boxes will remain in the Coutts Crossing and Copmanhurst villages until early October.