Young People as Decision Makers

Eckford M¹*

1. The Foundation for Young Australians, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Young people in decision making is about:

• Social justice;
• Recognising and building capacity; and
• Building connections between young people and their communities.

The Foundation for Young Australians is engaging young people in meaningful decision-making within its organisation and, through its grant making activities, is facilitating the growth of young people in leadership and decision making roles within their community.

In this presentation, Mary Wooldridge, Chief Executive Officer of The Foundation for Young Australians will explore the challenges and issues for young people in decision making roles and the impact these role have in assisting community connectedness. She will also look at what organisations wanting to engage with young people can do to make this a successful experience for all involved.

As a case study, she will also use the experiences of The Foundation for Young Australians as the organisation developed a structure where young people are the decision makers on approximately $3 million of grant funding per annum.

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