Young Queenslanders voice views on key issues at Youth Summit

The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) is hosting a Youth Summit on 10 and 11 April in Brisbane during Queensland Youth Week (7–13 April 2024).

• Forty Queenslanders aged 25 years and younger will present to government and community leaders about topics that matter to them.
• This is an opportunity for young people to speak directly to decision-makers and influence change.
• The QFCC Youth Summit provides an engaging forum for 40 young Queenslanders from across the state to take to the stage and present to up to 200 representatives from the Queensland Government and community organisations.

Held during Queensland Youth Week, the Youth Summit amplifies the voices and views of young Queenslanders and provides a platform for them to voice their ideas for change.

The Youth Summit celebrates young people who are advocating for change and their contributions to their communities.

Young Queenslanders will deliver short presentations about topics they care about, sharing their lived
experiences, views and proposed solutions for government and community decision-makers to hear and act on.

On Day 1, young Queenslanders will speak about a broad range of topics, including their experiences with housing, bullying, child protection, life literacy, mental health, youth justice, and many more.

The presentations will be delivered through six sessions centred around the themes of the wellbeing framework developed by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY): Healthy; Material basics; Valued, loved and safe; Identity and culture; Learning; and Participating.

Day 2 comprises a youth-led workshop for young Queenslanders to connect with each other generate discussion and ideas about actions needed to respond to the issues raised in the speeches on Day 1.

The Youth Summit will be held at the Emporium Hotel at South Bank, Brisbane. For more information about the Youth Summit, including details of all speakers and their topics, visit www.qfcc.qld.gov.au/youth/summit

Quotes attributable to QFCC Youth Advocate and Youth Summit speaker Maddie:
“I am passionate about ensuring governments, communities and organisations are youth-friendly and youth-centric in their work.

“Young people have unique views and experiences that can strengthen policy outcomes that can benefit entire communities.

“The Youth Summit is an excellent opportunity for young people to speak directly to government and community leaders so that they are aware of the issues facing youth and the solutions we envisage can work.

“Organisations need a cultural change towards youth engagement by ensuring their frameworks and policies align with real, meaningful youth engagement.

“This young generation is capable and ready to work alongside governments, communities and organisations, which will benefit all of Queensland in creating social change.”

Quotes attributable to QFCC Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford:
“We hear a lot from adults about children and young people and what they need, yet we don’t always hear from children and young people themselves—this needs to improve.

“Children and young people’s experiences of the world are vastly different from those of adults, and they bring perspectives, based on their own lived experiences, that need to be factored into decisions.

“If we want children and young people to participate positively in our communities and feel a sense of belonging, we need to provide opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to decisions about them, their families, and their communities.

“The QFCC Youth Summit does this—it connects young Queenslanders from right across the state with decision-makers from the Queensland Government and community organisations and provides a platform to influence change.

“I encourage everyone attending the Youth Summit to hear from young Queenslanders, and more importantly, act on what they say.”

ENDS

For media information contact:
Kirstine O’Donnell | Queensland Family and Child Commission
Phone: 0404 971 164
Email: media@qfcc.qld.gov.au