ENGAGEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Owning, driving and leading the work
Learning Creates Australia has demonstrated a commitment to ensure young people’s voice and agency is embedded at all levels of our work, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the first 2 years of work, over 1200 young people have been involved in The Learner’s Journey project.
Unique to our approach has been the employment of 21 young people, including 19 young people, aged 15-24, with diverse lived experience who were trained in co-design and consulting skills, from the community partners to:
- Provide their expertise and lived experience of young people within the system
- Engage with their peers to inform, gather insights, test and co-design work alongside the teams & communities.
Young people have also contributed in additional ways - through community co-design, within design stories, through student challenges and as blog contributors.
"I was never one to put my hand up first for things, I was always the shy, nervous kid. This job has given me the opportunity to share my thoughts, and dedicate my life to something meaningful."
"Coming from a disadvantaged background, I would have never thought that my experience would matter or be useful for others. It made my negative experience into something positive for someone else."
"I’ve learned that I can be proud of who I am, and my lived experience (although tough) can be used to help others."
OUR APPROACH
Centering young people
We recognise that young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have historically been excluded from decisions that impact their learning. Young people have unique strengths, talents, insights and skills to find innovative solutions to complex issues. By giving young people access to power and decision making about the future, our ability to design systems fit for purpose expands.
Through our work, Learning Creates engage, employ, train and co-design with young people and their communities, and engage YLab as a collaborating partner to ensure the role of young people is central.
Our engagement with young people includes:
- Employing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in meaningful employment as Community Associates to provide informed and strategic input.
- Engage at scale diverse viewpoints and experiences of young people from across Australia who are encouraged and supported to contribute at critical points.
- Empower young people through an operations and governance model that provides opportunities to engage on all levels including as key strategic decision makers and within key meetings.
LEARNING CREATES - THE YLAB COMMUNITY ASSOCIATES
The Community Associates shared about their time working on the first phase of work - The Learner's Journey Project
FIRST NATIONS APPROACH
Backing First Nations self-determination
