Steering Committee Reflection on youTHINK 20/02/2009
It’s been a long time coming!
For the first time, the Australian Government has actively engaged
young people in an open, nationwide, youth-focussed consultation.
The Minister’s invitation to all young people to join her from
around the country on the 20th of February was somewhat
extraordinary; and the discussion generated during the day proved
that engaging with young people produces thoughtful, creative and
constructive solutions and ideas. There could be no doubt that we
are active citizens, and a demographic the Government needs to
engage with in a meaningful way – something everyone involved
recognised at youTHINK.
The excitement was palpable as the whole country tuned in to Sydney, and in every location opinions, ideas and discussion flowed throughout the sessions. Everyone seemed keen to talk about the issues, and hearing from so many different young people gathered in different locations all around the country gave a real buzz! It was exciting to see the Government follow through on an ambitious plan to engage with young people on a scale greater than ever before, and do so with the success it did.
It was great to see so many secondary school students there; next time we also hope to see more uni and TAFE students, and young people in the workforce. Many people expressed how important it was that the discussions were followed up – Minister Kate Ellis has certainly committed to responding to what we expressed at youTHINK, and the Steering Committee is keen to make sure that information flows back to everyone who participated as soon as possible.
We received some really useful feedback on the day, and also through the evaluation forms. If you have more you would like to add, please get in touch – ayf@deewr.gov.au.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the inaugural youTHINK – we’ve begun!
The AYF Steering Committee
