At the heart of YACVic lies a dynamic team of Young Peer Facilitators, dedicated to amplifying the voices of young people across the state.
These facilitators work on all sorts of projects in YACVic and with other organisations. These could be leading discussion groups on pressing issues for young people, training youth workers, or working on policies for positive community change.
Our Facilitator team is When young people are actively involved at all levels and stages of decision-making.youth participation in action. Let's delve into their role and hear from our alumni about how it has shaped their life and work opportunities.
Past Young Peer Facilitator projects
Over the years, our Facilitators have left a clear mark on many projects.
From initiatives like the Young Health Ambassadors to the Young Advocates Program, Facilitators have consistently championed the voices of young people, empowering them to lead change in their communities.
Mark was interested in a career in policy, so as a Young Peer Facilitator he was given projects to boost his policy skills. This included submissions to inquiries into Victoria's criminal justice system and co-designing youth strategies with local councils. As Mark shares, this helped shape his career.
Since finishing up in the role, I’ve been a Graduate in the Victorian Public Service and am now working as a Policy & Project Officer in the Victorian Government Office for Youth. I’ve also started a PhD in Criminology further exploring young people’s experiences of justice system, with a focus on courtrooms.
Overall, being a YPF has not only held me in good stead for everything since but was also foundational in shaping what opportunities I seek out now and why.
– Mark
Maya shares her rewarding experience leading the Young Advocates Program in 2022, emphasising the transformative power of supporting young people to talk about what matters to them.
The program empowered 12 young people across eight weeks to become strong community advocates and have become media spokespersons for YACVic. When you give young people opportunities to speak, they rise up to the occasion and give their all. I was honoured to witness their growth.
– Maya
Riya also had varied experiences as a Young Peer Facilitator, from delivering workshops in regional Victoria to helping recruit and train youth advisory boards.
As a facilitator, I really enjoyed being a part of the recruitment and training of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society’s Sexual Health Youth Advisory Board. I loved seeing such passionate and thoughtful young people come together to share their knowledge and lived experience, contributing to academic expertise.
This role has also opened so many opportunities for additional work at YACVic, like working in the Rural team for the Umbrella flood recovery project, and contributing to the upgrades of the Youth Engagement Resource Platform and the youth sector’s Code of Ethical Practice.
– Riya
The path ahead
For aspiring youth advocates, being a Young Peer Facilitator is a springboard to diverse opportunities within the youth sector and beyond.
Whether pursuing careers in government, academia, or grassroots activism, the skills and experiences gained through being a Young Peer Facilitator pave the way for impactful contributions to society.