are we there yet? past learnings current realities future directions for youth affairs in australia CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS National Youth Affairs Conference Melbourne 1–3 May 2007 Melbourne Park Function Centre Victoria's leading policy advocate on young people's issues funding Supported by conference supporters Research Committee 34 International Sociology of Youth Sociological Association 2 welcome Are We There Yet? The National Youth people came to the conference, their Affairs Conference took place over presence and input greatly enhanced three days in Melbourne, 1–3 May the three days in so many ways. 2007. The conference saw approxi- mately 900 young people, workers These kind of events provide with young people, researchers, invaluable opportunities for us to get academics and policymakers come together as a sector and re-energise through the doors to discuss and ourselves as workers in the youth debate youth issues. field; if the conference achieved nothing else this in itself is a valuable The conference was the culmination outcome. Georgie Ferrari of two years of planning and hard YACVic CEO work. While the Youth Affairs These conference proceedings offer a Council of Victoria was the central summary of the events and activities organiser of the conference we were that took place over the three days. It supported greatly by a number of is provided as a glimpse of what took organisations and individuals. Each place rather than a comprehensive of the state and territory youth report on the entire event. Not every peak bodies deserve a mention for workshop that was offered at the the energy and effort they put into conference is documented, instead promoting the conference. we have covered those workshops that were peer reviewed. I hope Thank you to all of you who attended this report provides you with some the conference, I was thrilled with insight into the conference if you the energy and excitement the weren’t able to attend or serves as a conference generated. There was memory jogger for those of you lucky a genuine buzz during plenary and enough to be there. Enjoy! workshop sessions and in the breaks. The diversity of delegates at the conference, in terms of geographi- cal spread, ethnicity and work background was something many of you commented on. Personally I was delighted to have so many young people with disabilities attend the conference. In all, 204 young 3 contents the conference youth team 5 about the conference 7 keynotes and panel discussions 8 session titles and presenters 9 posters 22 extra events 24 evaluations, conclusions and thankyous 27 4 the conference youth team So, the conference has been and gone, and in true YACVic fashion, young people were directly involved via the Conference Youth Team (CYT). Every fortnight Larissa (YACVic’s Information and Participation officer), Erin (the Conference Coordinator) and the CYT would meet to help shape the conference and give a youth perspective. No topic was left unturned; everything from promotion strategies, to badges/T-shirt designs, registration packs, session facilitation, roving ambassadors and chill-out mechanisms was discussed, debated and decided on. Although you may not have been able to attend the conference, this article aims to give a young person’s perspective on the Conference Youth Team as a form of youth participation in action. Given the diversity of young people involved, many different commun- a combination of communication ication methods were required to methods were used to catch them enable young people to participate. up. Meetings were held outside of school/work hours and in YACVic’s The conference T-shirts were office, which is centrally located and designed by a CYT member (with a close to public transport. Teleconfer- little help from the rest of the team!), encing was also available to facilitate and they were screen-printed by the involvement of young people another CYT member’s friend. These who couldn’t physically attend the T-shirts were worn throughout the meeting, and regular email updates conference to distinguish YACVic staff were sent out to members. CYT and the CYT from attendees. They members who didn’t have access to ensured that there was someone email, were contacted via phone or who could answer all those important snail mail (yes, snail mail) to follow questions from delegates, such as, up on issues between meetings ‘Where is Yarra Room 3?’ ‘Is there a and receive minutes/agendas etc. speaker’s prep room?’ and ‘Where is This was essential to ensure the the plenary held?’ The T-shirt design maximum number of young people was also used for badges. could be involved. YACVic was also flexible on meeting attendance, CYT members also helped staff the and if for some reason a young registration desk, which, at one stage, person couldn’t attend a meeting, had to register 650 people in an hour 5 the conference youth team cream flavour as decided by CYT) and yoyos. Other CYT members staffed the registration desk and answered the myriad queries that came their way whilst others facilitated sessions. So, if you were thinking of a conference youth team of your very own (perhaps for something on a slightly smaller scale), what can you learn from our experience? • Be clear around your expectations of the young people involved. • Be flexible in the communication methods used among participants. • Give young people the opportunity to share power as much as so that they could attend the first possible. plenary which featured international • Listen to young people and guest speaker Howard Williamson. feedback on any suggestions raised regularly (e.g. We liked x design Due to time constraints on the for the lollies, but it doesn’t fit, we first morning, there wasn’t much were thinking y design instead. preparation for CYT members What do you think?) immediately prior to the first morning • Be flexible in the amount of of the conference. As a result, a lot involvement each young person can of questions that could have been give (e.g. One young person who answered by the CYT (with the aid was working took all three days of of a quick refresher) were directed the conference as annual leave and to Erin. The learning from this is could be there for most of it, others that next time a refresher would be had to juggle their involvement with preferable. This would remind them work/uni). where the seven rooms were, how • Saying thanks never goes astray! the registration process worked, how special meals were to be collected Overall, the CYT experience was a and what facilitation skills they positive one which developed new required. skills among the participants and demonstrated youth participation in Throughout the conference, action. Bring on the next conference! different CYT members were ‘roving Whose turn is it next time??? (I hope ambassadors’. This involved them it’s the federal peak’s turn …) roaming throughout the venue handing out conference badges, Article by Maree Wilson, Conference conference lollies (blue on the Youth Team member outside, white in the middle with a red question mark, strawberries and 6 about the conference Why a National Youth How did it work? • Workshop – an interactive one-hour Affairs Conference? The conference offered two parallel session with audience involvement There had not been a national youth programs: a workers’ program and a • Young person presenting – young affairs conference held in Australia young people’s program. person, aged 12–25, presented since 1998. Opportunities for the • Young people involvement – young youth affairs sector to come together Young people had the option of people co-presented or were at a state or a national level are rare. participating in workers’ sessions; involved in the presentation. The conference emerged as a result however, the young people’s program • Paper – theory-based formal paper of in-depth discussions between was offered exclusively to those aged presentation consisting of a 20- the eight state and territory youth between 12 and 25 years. minute presentation followed peak bodies. YACVic conducted a by 10 minutes for questions and preliminary needs assessment that Workers’ program discussion (unless otherwise highlighted the extensive interest in Over the three days there was a specified). the conference from both workers and series of workshops and panel young people and provided feedback discussions grouped around the What happens now? that was channelled into the planning following streams: Key themes and issues that emerged process. • Education, employment and training over the three days will be discussed • Policy and research and used by each of the state and Who attended? • Youth participation territory youth peak organisations The National Youth Affairs • Professional development in their development of policy Conference attracted approximately • Advocacy and rights directions in the coming year. Any 900 people from across Australia • Mental health and wellbeing key national youth issues will be used and overseas. The conference in campaigning and lobbying in the brought together youth workers, Young people’s program leadup to the Federal election. young people, teachers, drug and This program was grouped around the alcohol workers, youth health following streams: workers, housing and homeless- • Wellbeing ness workers, national youth organ- • Human rights and advocacy isations and the state and territory • Youth participation and leadership youth peaks, academics, representa- • Fun – interactive workshops tives from all levels of government covering a range of exciting and policymakers from across subjects. Australia. The presentations were coded What were the aims? accordingly: • to promote best practice in the • Peer refereed. A majority of these youth sector presentations included a 15- • to provide an opportunity to network minute academic lecture followed and share ideas by 5 minutes for questions and • to debate and discuss new research discussion.