Emerging civic leaders

We partnered with Y-Vote, a non-partisan youth-led social enterprise, to produce:

• a launch event in February 2019
• 3 fortnightly workshop sessions
• 3 pledge to vote campaign activations during Youth Week in April 2019
• an evaluation and celebration event.

This pilot program set the foundation for future civic engagement programs, providing young people with knowledge, skills and motivation to be involved in their communities.

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, we partnered with social enterprise Ripple on a practical online program for young people aged 18 to 24.

Career Lab focused on reskilling and employment support for young people as part of our community recovery plan from the pandemic, through a 5-week program at the end of 2020. Ongoing support was provided to program participants into early 2021.

The program included a mix of online sessions, a digital community hub, separate breakouts and small peer support groups, which helped participants:

• develop practical and professional skills
• build confidence
• meet industry experts
• build networks to accelerate their career
• access opportunities for employment and community leadership.

Some of the program speakers included Dr Norman Swan, leading health broadcaster for the ABC and federal MP and former Olympic medallist Zali Steggall OAM.

Part of the 2023 Youth Week program, the Big Syd civics pop-up was an interactive event produced in partnership with social enterprise Ripple to:

• provide knowledge and skills for civic engagement
• foster social wellbeing and connectedness
• support young people in their community work.

The event included an interactive panel with special guests, small group discussions and networking opportunities. It explored various touch points of civic agency, community building and activation, as well as opportunities for influencing change, finding support and meaningful ways of getting involved in the local community.

In the lead-up to the 2024 local government elections, we hosted this panel event to explore the intersection of democracy and young Australians.

Fresh perspectives aimed to inform young people about civic participation, build confidence in decision-making spaces and encourage active involvement in shaping their communities.

Hosted and moderated by Heather McNab, youth media lead at the Foundation for Young Australians, the panel featured:

• Grace Vegesana – national director, Australian Youth Climate Coalition and co-founder of People of Colour Climate Network.
• Hannah Ferguson – co-founder and CEO of Cheek Media, author of Bite Back and Taboo.
• Konrad Michalski – economics teacher turned social media personality and podcaster focused on making politics accessible and engaging to everyday Australians.
• Kupakwashe Matangira – youth empowerment activist and social entrepreneur, finalist for NSW Young Woman of the Year 2024.

Feedback from this event informed the design of the changemakers launchpad program.