Past Youth Advisory Groups

Check out the great work of our previous Youth Advisory Groups.

2024 Youth Advisory Groups

Working Partner: Department of Home Affairs

Members:
  • Emma from South Australia
  • Faaiza from New South Wales
  • Isabelle from Victoria
  • Jeremy from South Australia
  • Joshua from Western Australia
  • Kuba from Tasmania
  • Tobias from Queensland
  • Tully from Queensland.
Outcomes:
  • Members gave advice on how to attract and retain young people in emergency management volunteer roles. Their insights helped inform the National Resilience Taskforce.  
  • Members worked with the Museum of Australian Democracy to inform and refine the development of civic education resources for regional and remote students  
  • Members contributed to a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matter’s inquiry into civic education, engagement and participation in Australia.

Working partner: Office for the Arts

Members:
  • Charlie from New South Wales
  • Matthew from New South Wales
  • Max from New South Wales
  • Michaela from Queensland
  • Nicola from South Australia
  • Nyarath from Victoria
  • Reede from Tasmania.

Outcomes:

  • Input from members supported the implementation of initiatives in the Australia’s Cultural Policy called Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. This included:  
    • advice on what support is needed to help young people build sustainable careers in creative industries  
    • advice on what projects and initiatives would best support youth arts  
    • advice on how government can best elevate and support arts education and creative practice in the classroom.
  • Members shared insights with the Office for the Arts and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Their views informed the delivery of pilot funding for creative therapies and arts to support mental health.  
  • Members provided feedback on recommendations in Creative Australia’s Children, Young People and the Arts Analysis and Strategic Advice Report. This feedback will help inform Creative Australia’s needs analysis and ongoing approach.
  • Members will continue working with Creative Australia and the Office for the Arts on future strategies and planning to support young people in the arts.

Working partner: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Members:
  • Caitlin from New South Wales
  • Chris from Queensland
  • Janelle from Northern Territory
  • Lucinda from Victoria
  • Max from Victoria
  • Ramon from Queensland
  • Shai-lee from New South Wales
  • Teah from Queensland.

Outcomes:

  • Members worked with the department on matters related to youth employment policy by giving feedback on issues that impact young people in Australia, including employment services, careers (careers advice and guidance, and school transition support), apprenticeships, as well as self-employment assistance.  
  • Members provided advice that is helping inform policy consideration on youth employment matters, including eligibility for employment services and the delivery of place-based supports, ‘soft’ employment skills, and in-work supports for young people.

Working partners: Department of Education and National Indigenous Australians Agency

Members:
  • Georgie from South Australia
  • Jonathon from Western Australia
  • Noah from New South Wales
  • Rhea from Queensland
  • Shanaya from Northern Territory
  • Sienna from Queensland
  • Tremane from Western Australia
  • Tulara from South Australia
  • Victory from Victoria.

Outcomes:

  • Members helped to embed the voices of First Nations young people in the design process of Department of Education and National Indigenous Australians Agency policies and programs. This includes providing advice on:  
    • Role of teachers in positive school engagement
    • Promoting teaching as a profession of choice  
    • First Nations Teacher Strategy
    • Generative AI in education for First Nations students
    • National Indigenous Australians Agency – engagement programs particularly in remote communities
    • First Nations Education Policy
  • Feedback from members focussed on the need for Australian education settings to be culturally safe for First Nations students.  
  • Members have contributed to the National Youth Education Coalition’s (NIYEC) consultation. NIYEC is working on a Student Congress Model to create a new body that elevates the voices of First Nations students.  
  • Members worked with the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Department of Education on policy areas related to school engagement. Read the full list of outcomes in the First Nations Youth Advisory Group communique.

Working partner: Department of Social Services

Members:
  • Ahmad from Victoria
  • Declan from Queensland
  • Elloise from South Australia
  • Gavyn from Victoria
  • Jemma from Australian Capital Territory
  • Jessica from Queensland
  • Kane from New South Wales
  • Taryn from Western Australia.

Outcomes:

  • Members insights provided critical youth perspective to the design and implementation of Department of Social Services (DSS) policy and programs. In particular, key focus areas related to the prevention and early intervention of gender-based violence under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 (the National Plan).
  • Advisory Members provided feedback on key resources of the National Consent Can't Wait Campaign (the Campaign), including the Adult to Child Conversation Guide. The guide supports adults to discuss consent with young people in an age-appropriate way and were launched on 26 May 2024. See Conversation guides | Consent.gov.au - Check your understanding
  • Members provided feedback and advice on the development of the Promoting Consent Initiative, which included:  
    • discussion on modules and topics planned under the initiative  
    • advice on social media channels and frequency of messaging  
    • identifying and managing potentially sensitive material.
  • The resources went live in May 2025, see Teach Us Consent | Bringing Consent Education to Australia
  • Members provided feedback on the development of the National Consent Survey (the National Survey) on young people’s attitudes towards consent and sex education – this survey is under development.  
  • Members provided input to the development of a National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence (the Code), including advice on respectful relationships education and how institutions can provide trauma-informed response. The Code was introduced into Parliament in July 2025.  
  • Members provided advice on the development of resources that will support the implementation of the National Understanding Sexual Behaviours Principles (the Principles).
  • Members contributed to discussions and provided input on if and how a definition of healthy masculinities would encourage positive behaviours among young people, discussions included:
    • Young people’s understanding of masculinities and its impacts
    • Defining ‘healthy masculinities’
    • The extent that a definition could help to engage young men on the topic.  
  • The Advisory Group was invited to provide feedback and input on the development of policy and programs addressing gender-based violence in the LGBTIQA+ community, which has been useful in considering future directions in this area.  

Working partner: Department of Social Services

Members:
  • James from Queensland
  • Jordy from Northern Territory
  • Kathleen from Western Australia
  • Samantha from Tasmania
  • Sarah from Queensland
  • Sharnya from Tasmania.

Outcomes:

  • The Safe and Supported Youth Advisory Group has improved a range of the Department of Social Services policies and programs and importantly guided the department’s approach to consultation work with vulnerable children and young people.
  • A key achievement of the group included elevating the voice of children and young people within the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies for the Safe and Supported framework.
  • The work of the Youth Advisory group contributed to improving the lives of vulnerable young people by consulting on other departmental programs and polices outside of Safe and Supported, including the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 project, including future consultation with children and young people.

2023 Youth Advisory Groups

Working Partner: National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA)

Members:Outcomes:

Noah from New South Wales

Sienna from Queensland

Shanaya from Northern Territory

Georgie from South Australia

Rhea from Queensland

Victory from Victoria

Jonathon from Western Australia

  • Member input informed and contributed to aspects of the Early Years 
    and Education Capacity and Innovation fund.
  • Members provided valuable insight into the National Indigenous Australians Agency through their first-hand experience with education and other important topics.

Working Partner: Department of Health and Aged Care, the National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) and the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO)

Members:Outcomes:

Isabelle from New South Wales

Jessica from Victoria

Saul from Queensland

Katherine (Katya) from Victoria

Ipshita from Tasmania

Troy from Western Australia

Sankara from Victoria

Arsh from Northern Territory

  • Input from members contributed to the National Mental Health Commission’s advice
    to government on solutions to address youth mental health
  • Insights shared with the National Suicide Prevention Office have strengthened actions
    in the draft Suicide Prevention Strategy.
  • Feedback to the Department of Health and Aged Care informed the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing study.
  • Input continues to inform the government’s Headspace evaluation.

Working partner: Department of Industry, Science and Resources and Questacon - the National Science and Technology Centre

MembersOutcomes:

Houjie (Henry) from New South Wales

Ewa from Queensland

Aayushi from Victoria

Frank from Victoria

Marianna from Western Australia

Chloe from the Northern Territory

Tegan from Tasmania

Charlotte from Queensland

  • Members provided advice to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on its Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review and Australia’s National Science and Research priorities.
  • Member input helped to shape future Questacon program and activities around cyber.

Working partner: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)

Members:Outcomes:

Thomas from Queensland

Chris from the Australian Capital Territory

Maheen from the Australian Capital Territory

Emily from Victoria

Andrew from Western Australia

Jakob from New South Wales

Ella from South Australia

Bodhi from Queensland

  • Member feedback embedded into COP28 program and events.
  • 8 recommendations made to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) on improving young people’s engagement in the COP process.
  • Group recommendations taken on by DCCEEW as it continues engaging with young people, including the new Youth Community of Practice.

Working partner: Department of Social Services (DSS)

Members:Outcomes:

James from Queensland

Samantha from Tasmania

Jaida from New South Wales

Kathleen from Western Australia

Sharnya from Tasmania

Stephanie from South Australia

Jordy from the Northern Territory

Sarah from Queensland

  • Advice provided to the Department of Social Services (DSS) on Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021—2031.
  • Insight from members helped guide policies and programs for young Australians through the framework.
  • The group’s commitment has been integral in DSS’s decision to continue the Safe and Supported group in 2024.