The Youth Voice Project is an initiative designed to empower youth to use their voices to create positive change in their community. Developed by Firefly Bay & Basin – Uniting in collaboration with Vincentia High School, Youth Insearch, Western Sydney University and Community Minded Kids, the project engages with young people in the Bay & Basin region, NSW to build their skills to become peer researchers and create, co-design and implement impactful community projects.
Aligned with the conference themes of Connect, Share, Empower, and the subthemes of Active Citizenship and Governance & Decision-Making, the Youth Voice Project fosters student agency, advocacy and leadership. Firefly Bay & Basin collaborate with Vincentia High School to select a team of students to participate in workshops to develop their skills in research, co-design, leadership, advocacy and community engagement. The project empowers them to participate in decision making, governance structures and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
The first Youth Voice Project was delivered at Vincentia High School during 2023-24. Through trainings facilitated by Firefly and Western Sydney University in 2023, students developed research skills, enabling them to become peer researchers exploring local youth experiences and interactions with services. The findings from this research were compiled into the Youth Voice Roadmap, a resource available for community organisations and service providers, aiding tailoring initiatives to meet the needs of local youth.
Beyond research, the project fosters leadership by supporting participants in developing and pitching community-focused initiatives. With training from Firefly, students refined their ideas and presented four project ideas to key stakeholders. In 2024, all four projects received NSW Government funding, allowing participants to co-design and implement their ideas alongside Firefly and the community.
This holistic approach to youth participation fosters both personal and professional growth, preparing students to become changemakers in their communities.
This presentation will share insights from the Youth Voice Project, highlighting the power of youth-led research and participatory action and showcasing the four projects that were delivered in 2024. We will also share our vision for 2025. Attendees will gain an understanding of effective youth engagement strategies, the significance of co-designing initiatives with young people, and the broader implications of empowering youth as leaders in their communities.
Natasha Busbridge
Tash is Firefly’s Community Impact Strategy Coordinator, that’s a bit of a mouthful! But what that means is she looks after the everyday running of Firefly in the Bay and Basin community. Her focus is making sure we have youth at the centre of everything we do.
When she’s not looking for awesome partnerships with organisations and community to create great stuff to support local young people, you can find her at the beach or watching Doctor Who. Tash has been working with regional communities for over 5 years and brings stakeholder engagement, strategy planning and communications management to this role. She is Working with Children Checked and has been delivering youth focused initiatives and activations for over 3 years.
She is excited by the possibilities in learning more from the young people of Bay and Basin and working in collaboration with likeminded people.
Christine McInerney-Percy
Christine is our on-the-ground Community Connector here at Firefly. Having lived and worked in Sanctuary Point and the wider Bay and Basin community for over ten years, she brings local knowledge and strong connections to local youth and families to the role. Having a background in Business and Early Childhood Education, Christine is continuously interested in making a positive difference for families and young people in our community, not matter their age!
Not one to shy away from hard work like flipping a snag at a community BBQ, when she’s not talking and listening to people in the community and working with youth at a grassroots level, you can find her getting dumped at Nelsons Beach while she volunteers at Nippers or welcoming people as part of the local Red Cross Evacuation team.
She has a current Working with Children’s Check and an extensive background in developing youth focused programs. Supporting the community where she lives is important to her, she looks forward to further developing her skills in youth engagement and communications.