A.01 Developing a whole-school Student Agency Model with Student Voice & Agency

Elizabeth Loke

A.02 Empowering Young People - Respectful Relationships and Societal Narratives

Rodrigo Castellanos

A.03 Fostering Future Regional Leaders through the Australia-ASEAN Youth Summits

Emeline Gillingham

As Victorian schools continue on their journeys of developing instructional models for their teaching staff, it is important to acknowledge that learning is a partnership with the students themselves. Therefore, just as how teaching is made explicit and clear through educational instructional models focused on pedagogy, so too must learning be equally explicit and clear for our students. In 2023, Glen Waverley SC began their 12-month-long journey in developing their own Learner Model in partnership with both the teaching and student body. It was pivotal that the development of this model was driven from students, and ultimately accessible to students themselves from Year 7 to 12. Therefore, we are proud that the full development process of our GWSC Learner Model was not merely consulted upon with students at the end, where staff attained feedback. Rather, our students investigated, brainstormed, conceptualised, illustrated, wrote, and taught the Learner Model for their fellow peers. Learn about the process of developing a whole-school policy with students; how we as teachers can empower our students to achieve this, and how to then embed this model meaningfully to affect positive change and culture in schools.

Gender-based violence is a major issue in Australia specially in an age where young people’s exposure to different societal narratives and messages has increased dramatically in traditional as well as social media. Efforts to communicate positive and empowering messages must be backed with formats that engage students and address key concerns as experienced by young people themselves. TESSA Inc. gender specific respectful relationship programs (EXPECT RESPECT and MATMAN) use interactive conversations, brief concept presentations, and physical activities to engage the students and help them embody the concepts explored.
Themes in each program have been selected using a combination of research, Respectful Relationships curriculum consideration, as well as stakeholder and young people consultation. The evaluation processes aim to capture both, the objective understanding of particular themes as well as the subjective experience of the students. During the 45-minute workshop, participants will experience some of the key activities and their links to respectful relationships and gender narratives. They will also learn how this format provides agency, voice and sense of ownership to the students highlighting the importance of participatory and active respectful relationships education. As one program participant stated, “this program is not about DO THIS but more about YOU CAN DO THIS!”.

Rodrigo Castellanos

Rodrigo has over 20 years’ experience in project management, sustainability and environmental markets. In 2010 Rodrigo cofounded RAMP Carbon Pty Ltd while leading the development of a series of major environmental and social programs in Latin America and Africa.  In 2005 Rodrigo joined as Director of Research the corporate social responsibility ratings agency RepuTex in Melbourne, Australia focusing on Risk Assessment and Carbon Finance. Prior to this he worked in the Citigroup Private Bank in New York and Mexico City.  In February 2017 Rodrigo was employed as the inaugural MAT Life Skills Program Manager for TESSA Inc.

Irena Krol 

Irena is a certified shiatsu practitioner with extensive experience in teaching people about self-care and wellbeing practices. Since 2015 she has been a certified life skills instructor helping to empower young people to better manage challenges in their lives.

In 2024, she co-developed the Expect Respect program, an initiative focused on fostering respectful relationships and personal safety for young women and is currently the leading instructor of the program in Victoria.

Irena started training Aikido in 2002.  For several years she has been teaching beginners’ classes helping students to establish strong foundations in terms of body awareness and technical development.

Kami Castellanos Krol

Kami is currently pursuing a Bachelors degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU.  She has a strong passion for diplomacy, policy development, and human rights. Kami has been actively involved in initiatives that promote social justice and community empowerment.  At TESSA Inc., she co-developed the Expect Respect program, an initiative focused on fostering respectful relationships and personal safety for young women. She has also volunteered with Melel Xojobal in Mexico, supporting indigenous children through education and life skills programs.  Kami is fluent in English and Spanish and thrives in multicultural environments, enjoying engagement with diverse communities.

This presentation will share key outcomes and insights from the transformative Australia-ASEAN Youth Summits 2024, aligning with the Student Voice Conference 2025 theme of 'Connect, Share, Empower.'

The summits positively impacted participating students' understanding of regional issues, diplomatic skills, and global citizenship. We will explore how the summits addressed cultural identity, sustainability and active citizenship through simulated diplomatic activities and cross-cultural interactions.

The presentation will also highlight the project's impact on participating teachers, who gained valuable insights into youth leadership education and the sustainable development goals.

By sharing our experiences and strategies, we aim to inspire educators and advocates to create similar opportunities for student empowerment and foster stronger international ties. Join us to explore how to nurture globally minded leaders.

Emeline Gillingham

Assistant Manager, International Partnerships, Asialink Education (formerly known as Asia Education Foundation) 

Emeline is the Assistant Manager of International Partnerships at Asialink Education, bringing over a decade of experience in project management and stakeholder engagement within global education, Australia-Asia relations, and international affairs.

At Asialink Education, Emeline coordinates diverse programs for students, educators, and leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. She has successfully managed international school partnerships projects with India, China, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Papua New Guinea. Her expertise extends to leading educational study tours to Mongolia and South Korea, as well as organising immersive learning experiences in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Prior to joining Asialink Education, Emeline worked with the United Nations Association of Australia (Victorian Division), where she promoted the UN's work at the local level.

Emeline's international experience includes a six-month Chinese language learning scholarship in Chengdu, China. She is an alumna of the prestigious Asialink Leaders Program and holds a Master of International Relations with Honours from La Trobe University.

With her extensive background in cross-cultural education and international partnerships, Emeline continues to foster meaningful connections and educational opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.

C.08 The Rise and Impact of the Minister's Student Council (DOVES) in the NSW Education System 

Katrina Stuve 

C.09 Purposeful Student Projects – An Experiment in Curiosity and Concern as Drivers for Student-Led Learning 

Grant Sciberras 

C.10 Building Connections Through Positive Behaviour Support 

Natalie Deacon 

In recent years, there has been a significant shift towards amplifying student voice in the New South Wales (NSW) education system. Traditionally, students were passive recipients of educational policies, but now there is a growing emphasis on involving students in decisions that impact their learning and school environments. This change has been driven by the recognition that students possess valuable insights into their own educational experiences. The Minister’s Student Council (DOVES) plays a vital role in this movement by providing a formal platform for students to voice their concerns, influence policy, and contribute to shaping the future of education in NSW.

The Emergence of Student Voice in NSW Education

Student voice refers to the active involvement of students in decision-making processes within schools and educational systems. In NSW, this concept has gained momentum as policymakers and school leaders recognise the importance of including students in discussions about curriculum, school culture, and student welfare. Including student voice helps ensure that the education system remains responsive to students' needs and fosters a sense of ownership among young people regarding their education.

The Role and Impact of the Minister's Student Council (DOVES)

The Minister’s Student Council (DOVES) is a key initiative that supports the rise of student voice in NSW. The council serves as a representative body for students across the state, offering them a platform to engage with policymakers, educators, and school leaders. Through this body, students advocate for changes that align with their needs and concerns, ensuring their perspectives are included in educational decision making.

1. Advocacy for Student Interests: The Minister’s Student Council (DOVES) provides students with the opportunity to raise issues that impact their daily lives, such as mental health support, vaping, bullying, curriculum changes, and inclusivity. By voicing these concerns to education leaders, the council ensures that student interests are considered in policy development.

2. Empowerment and Leadership Opportunities: The council allows students to take on leadership roles, helping them develop skills such as public speaking, decision-making, and collaboration. These experiences foster confidence and empower students to engage in school and community development.

3. Shaping Educational Policy: The council influences educational policies by gathering feedback from students and presenting it to decision-makers. This process has led to changes such as improved mental health programs, student-centred learning approaches, and other reforms that better meet student needs.

4. Promoting Inclusivity and Diversity: The council advocates for more inclusive and diverse school environments. By raising awareness about marginalized student groups, DOVES has contributed to making schools more accessible and supportive for all students, regardless of their background.

5. Fostering Communication Between Students and Educators: DOVES acts as a bridge between students and the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning The Hon Prue Car, ensuring that student concerns are communicated and addressed. This open communication strengthens the relationship between students and educators, creating a more collaborative environment.

6. Enhancing Student Engagement: By giving students a platform to express their views, the council encourages greater engagement in school activities and decision-making processes. When students feel heard, they are more likely to invest in their educational experience, leading to stronger school communities.

Conclusion

The rise of student voice in the NSW education system, exemplified by the Minister’s Student Council (DOVES), marks a transformative shift in how education is approached. By empowering students to lead, advocate, and participate in decision-making, I have managed the council for 4 years developing the strategy to gain momentum in student voice in the public education system. DOVES ensures that student perspectives are not only heard but also respected in shaping the educational landscape. This initiative has fostered a more inclusive, responsive, and dynamic educational environment in NSW, benefiting students and schools alike.

In the age of the internet and mobile phones, students have the power of attaining knowledge that fundamentally challenges the role of education systems, standardised curriculum and teachers. In my own teaching practice, within high schools, in my own tutoring model and at universities, I have persistently based my practice upon finding opportunities to hand over the learning to students, for students and with students. Within this workshop, I hope to share my practice and curriculum models that may offer counterpoints to the top-down, hierarchical structures that education systems and classrooms have historically depended upon and been shaped by. This workshop intends to be exploratory and discursive, based upon personally reflective praxis and small case studies of teaching, learning and curriculum design outside of institutional learning spaces for their potential to imagine different ways of empowering students.

My own student-led project model – combining the work of inquiry, problem-based and project-based learning into frameworks and cycles of learning that put the purpose of the learning in the hands of the students. As a high school teacher, often we are posed with critically challenging questions from students:

“Why are we learning this?”

“When am I going to ever use this information?”

“How is this relevant to my life?”

“I’m never going to need this information with where I want to be in my future.”

Through my own observations of different project-based, inquiry-based and problem-based programs, I experimented with refining and clarifying how these pedagogical approaches can be both better understood by students and their subtle differences clarified in the process. With these cycles, it offered students themselves to dictate what the purpose of their learning was – driven by their concerns or curiosities. Through these interests, students could learn critical thinking, digital and media literacy, metacognitive and communication skills that made their learning both meaningful and deeply relevant to their current and future lives (regardless of their interests or aspirations). In this workshop I hope to raise questions and offer solutions to the sticky world of untangling assessment, curriculum, knowledge, skills and student identities, motivations and aspirations.

Within these project cycles, and the potential questions they probe and power they provide students, we can consider their implications for policy and practice in ways that not only prepare students for their future, but are inherently inclusive, empowering and supportive. Arguably this workshop has the power to speak to all themes of the conference as it puts students as partners and leaders of their learning at its core.

TESSA Inc. invites attendees to collaborate on a dynamic workshop exploring our six core principles of Managing Challenging Behaviour. This hands-on learning experience is designed for students in social work, community services and education, equipping them with essential tools to foster safe and supportive connections with learners.
Workshop Overview This interactive session emphasises the link between educator-learner relationships and effective behaviour management. Participants will gain insights into how positive, structured engagement strategies enhance social skill development and overall classroom success.
A key feature of the workshop is hands-on instruction and implementation of the TESSA Inc. Prompt Cards, a valuable tool that reinforces positive engagement and behaviour interventions. Participants will practice real-world application through role-play and collaborative exercises.
We welcome the opportunity to bring this engaging, skills-based workshop to your institution and look forward to discussing how we can support student development through meaningful, practical learning experiences.

Natalie Deacon

Natalie began her career in Community Services in 2017. She is the Engagement Support Services Manager and Professional Learning Coach with TESSA Inc., supporting adult learners in Youth Work, Community Services, Social Work and Educational Employees. She also works for the Department of Education(DE). Natalie trains tertiary students on placement and staff working in Education, delivering TESSA Inc.’s Managing Challenging Behaviour modules. Additionally, she oversees the Engagement Support Officer (ESO) program, which provides trained staff to mainstream schools to support students with complex behavioural concerns. With extensive experience in education and community services, Natalie plays a key role in workforce development and student support.

D.11 Student-Led Governance: Building Safe, Empowering, and Inclusive Communities in a Democratic School 

Abbie Morrissey 

D.12 Negotiating Curriculum 

Nadine Craine 

D.13 Future-Focused Education through Student-Staff Partnerships: Lessons from Coffee Conversations  

Cassandra Iannucci 

Humanitas High School, a democratic school where student voice is at the heart of governance, proposes an interactive panel discussion led by a small group of our students. This session will explore how inclusive, student-led governance practices can create safe and supportive school communities while empowering young people to actively shape their educational experience. Our students will share firsthand insights into the decision-making processes at our school, where students hold significant roles in shaping school policies, resolving conflicts, and driving initiatives. Through their stories, they will highlight the transformative power of student agency and how governance grounded in shared responsibility fosters a safe, inclusive, and future-focused learning environment. This session invites participants to engage in dynamic discussions and activities aimed at sharing innovative strategies for integrating student voice into school governance and creating supportive educational ecosystems.

Evaluation reports of Student Voice, Agency and Participation initiatives within schools frequently point to the sustainability of such approaches. “If we came back in five years,” they say, “would this still be happening?” They point to a concern that initiatives are often driven by individual enthusiasms, and vanish when the initiator moves on.

At the same time, where schools are being asked by their systems to include student voice, agency and partnerships/participation in their school plans, there is little guidance as to what this might look like. Schools report that they struggle to know what is required and to define such on-going policy and practice commitments.

This workshop is intended to start a conversation about the need for embedding student voice, agency and partnerships/participation within school plans and planning processes. How do we make such lasting commitments, in ways that ensure that we go beyond individual enthusiasms or sometimes tokenistic responses to central policy directives?

The language and terminology, as well as system requirements, differ between jurisdictions eg in Victoria, government schools are required to:
• develop 4 year School Strategic Plans with long term improvement goals;
• each year, develop Annual implementation plans, with strategies and actions to meet those goals;
• establish school improvement teams, who are in charge of driving and monitoring implementation;
• publish Annual Report to the School Community; and
• go through a 4 yearly school review.

What does this look like for Student Voice, Agency and Participation? How does or might this planning happen, in ways that reflect the principles of student voice, agency and partnerships?

This workshop will explore these ideas, with a view to generating some practical examples of appropriate school planning. These examples could be collected in a future issue of ReConnectEd, as a way of providing some ideas and guidance for schools around policy and practices.

It is envisaged that the workshop will start with a short re-iteration of the need, then invite participants to contribute their own stories and examples of school plans and policy – including the process of developing these. Hopefully, these will draw on the situation in different jurisdictions across Australia. We’ll test out whether (and how) we might collect these examples for publication.

Roger Holdsworth

Roger is a semi-failed retiree; ex-secondary teacher; ex-youth sector policy worker; ex-University researcher; ex-consultant; ex-editor, Connect. Currently: presenter of the Global Village on PBS 106.7 FM

The Coffee Conversations initiative exemplifies the Students as Partners (SaP) approach, fostering co-creation and equitable collaboration between students and educators. Grounded in bell hooks’ pedagogy of engaged learning and SaP literature, this initiative positions dialogue as central to fostering belonging and engagement (Cook-Sather, Bovill, & Felten, 2014). By disrupting traditional power hierarchies, it nurtures meaningful relationships that enhance student experiences and academic success. Aligned with principles of relationship-rich education (Felten & Lambert, 2020), Coffee Conversations creates a supportive academic culture in which students actively contribute to shaping their learning environments, reinforcing the importance of relational dynamics in education. In addition to strengthening engagement in the present, this initiative reflects a commitment to future-focused education by fostering adaptability, collaboration, and student agency—key competencies for navigating an evolving higher education landscape and workforce.
Coffee Conversations offers an informal yet purposeful space for dialogue between students and educators. Held weekly in a relaxed cafe setting, these 45-90 minutes sessions allow students to share their learning experiences in real time, over a cup of tea or coffee. Voluntarily initiated by teaching staff across Deakin University’s faculties, each session involves 3-6 students, fostering inclusivity and amplifying traditionally marginalized voices. This initiative enables immediate responsiveness to student needs, cultivating trust, mutual respect, and a stronger sense of belonging (Deeley & Bovill, 2017).
Data were collected using a collaborative self-study methodology. This presentation draws on three data sources: (i) individual critical friend discussions where participants engaged in reflective conversations about their experiences, (ii) weekly written reflections from all participants which provided insight into their evolving perspectives, and (iii) macro critical friend discussions which involved group dialogues to capture collective reflections. Data were analysed using Live Coding (Parameswaran, Ozawa-Kirk & Latendresse, 2019) and Constructive Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2014), enabling an iterative and participant-driven understanding of impact.
Findings highlighted the significance of fostering authentic connections in relationship-rich education, the empowerment of students and staff through dialogue, the transformation of feedback from transactional to relational, and the cultivation of curiosity. This research demonstrates the transformative potential of Coffee Conversations in reimagining pedagogical relationships and enriching the higher education experience. Furthermore, by embedding dialogic practices within institutional structures, this initiative contributes to future-focused education by modelling participatory learning environments that prepare students to navigate complex social and professional landscapes.

Dr. Cassandra Iannucci

Dr. Cassandra Iannucci stands as a prominent academic at Deakin University, renowned for her extensive expertise in physical education teacher education, scholarship of teaching and learning, and the implementation of democratic practices within physical education. Her career is distinguished by a commitment to democratizing (higher) education and fostering Students as Partners initiatives, where she advocates for the amplification of student voice, agency, and engagement across the educational spectrum.

Cassandra’s research and teaching are deeply intertwined with principles of social justice, connection, and relationships. Her work explores the dynamics of learning environments, emphasizing the importance of inclusive practices that honour and elevate diverse student experiences. She focuses on enhancing social and emotional learning (SEL) capacities within physical education. By integrating SEL into her pedagogical frameworks, Cassandra aims to cultivate educational spaces that are not only intellectually stimulating but also emotionally supportive and socially equitable.

Through her innovative research, Cassandra Iannucci continues to inspire educators and students alike, driving forward a vision of education where connection, relationships, and social equity are at the forefront of academic and personal development.

F.17 Advocacy, Politics, and Student Voice: Guiding students to active citizenry and activism 

Thomas Maguire-Nguyen and Imogen O’Shannesey 

F.18 The Network Model of Student Leadership: Creating a System Beyond Badges and Titles 

Kirra Spence 

F.19 System Commitments to Student Voice, Agency and Participation – Challenging Times: How do we respond? 

Roger Holdsworth 

Traditional student leadership structures often limit opportunities to senior students or specific year levels, titles and roles. In this presentation, I will explore and reflect on how the Student Empowerment Team at Sacred Heart College researched, designed, and implemented a new Student Leadership Structure that selects leaders based on skills, passions, and drive rather than age or title—better reflecting real-world leadership.
This innovative, student-driven model fosters a network model approach to leadership, where students across different year levels mentor, collaborate, and learn from one another, rather than being confined to hierarchical roles.
Throughout this informative and reflective session we will provide key insights from our five-year journey of implementing our skills-based, goal oriented leadership structure. We will share:
- How we designed and implemented the new model- shifting from traditional leadership roles to a flexible, student-driven framework.
- Barriers and challenges faced - and how we navigated resistance, logistical hurdles, and cultural shifts.
- Learnings, benefits, and successes - including the impact on student engagement, leadership development, and school culture.
-The role of student data - illustrating how student voice has informed decision-making, and agency.

With the implementation of our new structure, our student leaders have played a key role in shaping major school transitions and changes over the past 5 years , including implementing a vertical homeroom structure, a new daily timetable, and data-driven student advocacy initiatives.

This session will provide practical strategies for educators and school leaders looking to break away from traditional leadership models and create a more inclusive, skills-based, and student-driven leadership culture and is ideal for those wanting to foster greater collaboration, agency and voice within their school student leadership teams.

This workshop envisages an open discussion on current national trends in education. In particular, systems have been required to agree to a particular model of ‘evidence-based teaching’ and are passing this requirement on to schools. This means that any commitments to student voice and agency are being removed from models of teaching and learning. How do and can we respond?

Previously, while the National Curriculum had been focussed on the content of the curriculum, it had specifically said that teaching methods were school responsibilities. However, the current requirement on all states and territories who have now signed up for federal funding (to implement Gonski proposals), is that they adopt ‘evidence-based’ teaching practices. A particular form of this explicitly draws on the work of AERO – the Australian Education Research Organisation, and, in particular, their requirements for ‘explicit teaching’: see https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/teaching-how-students-learn-model-learning-and-teaching .

There are several areas of concern here, including around the nature of what is regarded as ‘evidence’ and ‘research’, and views about the breadth or narrowness of purposes of education. The AERO view on these has been challenged; see for example, Dean Ashenden’s recent article: https://insidestory.org.au/the-trickle-down-theory-of-schooling/ but their work underpins system requirements of schools.

For example, in Victoria, the DET is updating the VTLM, the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model, and bases this on the work of AERO: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/improve/Pages/Victorianteachingandlearningmodel.aspx
This means that the Practice Principles for excellence in teaching practice, where student voice and agency took centre stage, will be gone. There’s a brief overview poster of VTLM 2.0 here: https://content.sdp.education.vic.gov.au/media/victorian-teaching-and-learning-model-2-0-2816 and further details are being worked on at the moment.

What does this mean for our approaches to Student Voice, Agency and Participation/Partnerships? What are the implications for areas such as active citizenship, inquiry learning, creativity, engagement, differentiation, diversity in ways of learning, equity, recognition of student and community knowledge, 'consulting pupils about teaching and learning' and so on?

The workshop will enable participants to share experiences and perspectives, and start some planning for possible responses.

Roger Holdsworth

Roger is a semi-failed retiree; ex-secondary teacher; ex-youth sector policy worker; ex-University researcher; ex-consultant; ex-editor, Connect. Currently: presenter of the Global Village on PBS 106.7 FM

As a young person living and studying in South Australia, I have experienced the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) across multiple aspects of my education. The Department for Education has increasingly embraced a mindset that prioritises progress and process over final products—a shift that aligns closely with the evolving role of AI in learning environments.

This presentation proposes a workshop-style session that explores what AI truly is, how it is currently being used in schools by both students and teachers, and the broader implications of these changes. Drawing from emerging examples—such as EdChat in association with Microsoft—participants will critically examine the benefits and challenges of AI in education, and the fundamental digital and ethical skills students need to engage with AI responsibly.

Importantly, the session will also consider concerns held in various states and territories, and offer a constructive dialogue on how negative perceptions of AI can be reframed into opportunities for innovation, empowerment, and equitable access. While EdChat is still in its trial phase and formal representation from the Department is not currently possible, the workshop will create space for informed discussion, reflection, and forward-thinking.

This session is designed to be interactive, reflective, and action-oriented—supporting educators, students, and decision-makers to better understand and shape the future of AI in education.

Rhys Heinrich

Rhys is an enthusiastic student advocate, passionate about driving positive change within his community. With a strong focus on education and the challenges faced by regional and rural students, Rhys serves as a Head Prefect on his school’s leadership council and actively contributes to various youth groups and forums at both state/territory and national levels. Committed to empowering students, Rhys strives to ensure that regional and rural perspectives are heard, valued, and acted upon in decision-making spaces. Beyond advocacy, Rhys has a deep interest in history and conflicts, finding inspiration in understanding past events to shape a better future.

This session is supported by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (SA)

G.20 The Future of Assessment 

G.21 Redefining Education 

G.22 Student-Led Climate Action 

H.23 Climate justice and curriculum justice: Young people’s accounts of schools’ uneven responses to their climate justice activism 

Eve Mayes 

H.24 AI in Education 

Rhys Heinrich 

H.25 Student Voice: Not an add on, a token or a survey 

Sue Bryen 

The uneven ways in which climate change is taught (or not) within schools, and the uneven opportunities for students to experience action-oriented climate justice education, are curricular injustices. Recent systematic reviews of the Climate Change Education literature note a depoliticising tendency in climate change education, with official curriculum documents rarely engaging with issues of justice. This previous research raises questions of how young people involved in climate advocacy narrate their experiences of learning about climate change and justice in and beyond mainstream schooling. This research paper, co-authored with four Research Associates who are also climate justice advocates, explores young people’s stories of learning (or not) about climate change and climate justice in school and social movement spaces. These accounts were shared during formal research conversations with 61 people and written in 59 survey responses: all participants identified as involved in youth-led climate justice networks across Australia. We draw on the concept of curricular justice to analyse the inequitable distribution of opportunities to experience justice-oriented approaches to climate change for young people in Australian schools. Many of these young people describe turning beyond mainstream schooling to experience critical, collective and creative forms of climate justice education that bring climate change into direct connection with social justice. We argue that listening to young climate justice advocates’ accounts of their schooling experiences offers valuable insights about the current conditions for learning and acting on climate change in schools. These insights can productively inform the development of justice-oriented modes of climate change education.

Dr Eve Mayes

Eve Mayes is a Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Pedagogy and Curriculum. She currently lives and works on unceded Wadawurrung Country. Her publications and research interests are in the areas of student voice and activism, climate justice education, affective methodologies and participatory research. Eve is currently working on the ARC DECRA project: Striking Voices: Australian school-aged climate justice activism (2022-2025). She has ten years of experience as an English and English as an Additional Language Teacher in government secondary schools in Australia.

Imogen O'Shannesy and Thomas Maguire-Nguyen, two young people and students, present an engaging, in-depth presentation/workshop based upon lived experience of students and how they can effectively represent themselves to decisionmakers and policymakers.
Throughout this experience, Imogen will share her experiences of Advocacy and how she has carved herself a place within the diatribe on quesitons around sexuality, young people's place in society, inclusive education, and the limitations placed upon students.
Thomas will discuss youth engagement, importance of civics in the growth of empowered students, as well as other ways that students can organically engage with politics, with case studies of succesful student voice expression.
This will also include a plethora of resources that students and educators can utilize to drive student involvement in decisionmaking, enabling the next generation of leaders to emerge with a strong and empowered voice.

Thomas Maguire-Nguyen

As a passionate community leader, Thomas founded Per Vocem Vita, an organisation with over 90 volunteers aged 15-19, that offers free public speaking and debating workshops to primary schoolers across Melbourne, where he experiences firsthand the power that students have in their communities. As the youngest ever elected chair of the Monash Youth Committee, Thomas represents the more than 50,000 young people in the City of Monash aged from 12-25 to council. Additionally, he has also worked with Victorian MP Matt Fregon to formulate youth policy. He is currently finishing year 11 and moving into year 12.

Imogen O’Shannessy

Imogen is a 17-year-old passionate Victorian youth and student advocate in various aspects of youth participation and inclusion. Some of her personal focus areas include:

-Improving the youth justice system in Australia
-Increasing LGBTQIA+ acceptance in the community and education sector
-Senior secondary education reforms
-Ending gender-based violence
-Inclusive sex and consent education in schools

Currently, she is a VicSRC Student Executive Advisory Committee Member, and serves as the Ambassadors Liaison for the committee. Imogen was also previously a panelist for the Senior Secondary Pathways Student Advisory Panel with VicSRC, along with being an Ambassador in October 2024. Outside of VicSRC, she was apart of Y Geelong's Victorian Youth Parliament team in 2024, and is returning to the program on the City of Greater Geelong team for 2025. She’s an inaugural Board Member for Young Voices Victoria, and volunteers for Run For It.

Alongside this, Imogen is heavily involved in her local community through the City of Greater Geelong. She was most recently apart of the city’s Rainbow Youth Advisory Group for two years, currently a member of their Youth Hub Reference Group and the FReeZA Committee, and was previously a member of the Geelong Youth Council in 2022.

She regularly attends youth consultations with various organisations where she can, and hopes to continue doing so until she turns 25. Her future aspirations are to study Youth Work and Criminal Justice, and work in the youth work sector.

Student voice is seen by many as a desirable inclusion in schools, seeking the voice of students to gather feedback on school climate or initiatives. However, occasionally seeking the voices of students does not suggest a true partnership with students. To truly connect and empower students we need to move beyond sharing ideas to sharing responsibility and working together to create, cultivate and collaborate to achieve our shared goals. Beginning with a shared definition of voice, the school voice process looks at how teachers listen to, learn from and lead with students on a daily basis to share responsibility for teaching and learning. Empowering students means giving them the tools and opportunities to take charge of their learning journey. This empowerment can lead to increased confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. This presentation introduces the School Voice Process, a deliberate process of connecting teachers and students as partners in the daily teaching and learning cycle. Participants will learn how schools have deliberately integrated the School Voice Process to build respect and trust between students and teachers. By implementing and sustaining explicit strategies across the school, they have created a sustainable climate of a collaborative community.

The School Voice Process involves:

• Creating Safe Spaces: Establishing an environment where students feel safe to express their opinions and ideas without fear of judgment or repercussions.

• Recognising and respecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students, ensuring that their voices are heard and valued.

• Making deliberate pedagogical decisions to activate student voices within the teaching and learning cycle to ensure student voice is not just a token, an add on or a survey.

• Working with students to set goals, ensuring that they have a say in what they want to achieve and how they plan to get there.

• Learning from students about what is and isn’t supportive of their learning and wellbeing. Using iterative cycles of data analysis and problem solving with students.

• Building student capabilities and confidence to accept responsibility to lead their own learning.

• Reflective Practices: Encourage students to reflect on their learning experiences, helping them to identify their strengths, areas for improvement, and future goals.

In a rapidly evolving world where leading your own learning is a vital mindset and skill, the School Voice Process creates a culture of authentic partnership between students and teachers. Every student has a voice, but teachers must authentically seek to activate each voice as a vital partner in daily practice. This presentation will invite participants to think critically about how they partner with students to inspire and create learning and the role of students in the teaching and learning cycle.

Student voice and agency is not something given to students but is activated by a genuine desire to partner with and empower every student. By connecting with students, sharing responsibilities, and empowering them to co-create their educational experiences, we can foster a culture of mutual respect, trust, and excellence.

Sue Bryen

Sue Bryen is passionate about learning and equity of access to high quality learning. She has been a teacher, instructional leader and principal, and has over 30 years experience as an educator in both the UK and Australia. Working in a variety of schools from large urban schools to small rural schools, Sue chose to spend the majority of her career in rural and regional areas and schools serving disadvantaged populations. In 2017 Sue moved into the field of professional learning, working with hundreds of school teams across Australia, translating research-informed practice into contextually relevant processes and actions. Her role at the Quaglia Institute as Director of Learning Services–Australia provides Sue with the opportunity to design and present professional learning which enhances student and teacher voice across schools and systems throughout Australia.

Sue spends her free time walking, reading and enjoying the outdoor environment with friends and her dog.

J.29 Youth Voice: Ask, Amplify, Act – A Participatory Approach to Youth-Led Change 

Natasha Busbridge 

J.30 Empowering Student Voice through Curriculum Governance: A Critical Analysis of NSW Syllabus Documents 

Grant Sciberras 

J.31 School Planning for On-Going, Sustainable Student Voice, Agency and Participation 

Roger Holdsworth 

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.

In an era where student voice and agency are critical to fostering equitable educational experiences, our understanding of governance in schools must evolve to incorporate the perspectives of students. Equally important is the oft-overlooked impact of internet accessibility and democratisation of knowledge that could empower students in their learning as challengers to standardised curriculum design. This presentation draws upon my recent research examining the opportunities and restrictions for student choice within the New South Wales (NSW) syllabus documents for English, Science, Mathematics, and History in Years 7-10. By employing a critical policy analysis (CPA) approach, I aim to unpack the systemic factors embedded in curriculum governance that influence both teaching practices and student learning experiences, often disabling student agency.

The analysis reveals that the prescriptive nature and rigid structures within these syllabus documents often limit genuine participatory governance. As teachers navigate these mandates, they face challenges that inhibit their ability to incorporate student agency into their pedagogical choices and approaches. Consequently, students are often left with little room to influence their learning experiences and pathways, undermining their intrinsic motivation and engagement as they transition into their teenage years.

Drawing from existing literature on student motivation and engagement, I will discuss the implications of a narrow curriculum design that favours compliance over choice. The findings illustrate a crucial disconnect between the ideals of student empowerment and the realities shaped by curriculum governance. By foregrounding student choice as a vital component of their educational experience, we can begin to redefine the roles of teachers and students within the classroom—shifting from a top-down directive model to one that encourages collaboration, shared decision-making and student leadership.

During this presentation, I intend to elevate a conversation surrounding the need for governance structures that are conducive to student involvement. This includes examining best practices in participatory models, such as student councils and advisory boards, and identifying potential pathways for rethinking curriculum policies that prioritize student input. I will also invite participants to consider the existing barriers they face in advocating for greater student agency and explore strategies to engage diverse voices in shaping educational policies and practices at both systemic and classroom levels.

This session aims to be interactive/discursive, encouraging attendees to share their experiences and insights regarding student governance and curricular decision-making. By collaborating and brainstorming potential solutions, we can foster a supportive network committed to empowering students in their learning environments. Ultimately, we must recognize that effective governance in education requires meaningful inclusion of student perspectives—transforming them from passive recipients of knowledge into active contributors who shape their educational journeys.

Through this exploration, we will not only highlight systemic challenges but also champion student voice as a pivotal issue in policy discussions around curriculum. This discussion hopes to highlight the barriers of the current curriculum policy climate and discuss opportunities for greater student engagement and motivation through a more democratic classroom and a rebalancing of curriculum for student ownership and leadership in their learning.

Negotiating the curriculum was championed by Australian educator, Garth Boomer, and involves teachers and students undertaking curriculum as a process of co-construction. Whilst the current applicability of Boomer’s ideas is supported by research and policy focused on student agency at a local, national and international level, the current emphasis on standardisation and datafication in education systems presents challenges for both teacher and student agency to be realised. In light of these tensions, this presentation explores the findings of a recent PhD study focused on how the process of negotiating the curriculum can be sustained over time within a primary school setting. The study reviewed expert insights and analysed a case study of a primary school that has undertaken a negotiated curriculum for 25 years. Three major contributions to the field emerging through this analysis will be presented. These include a new model for sustaining curriculum negotiation across a whole school, exploration of how the findings contribute to understanding the role of the teacher and how teaching and learning is undertaken, and discussion of threats to the sustainability of curriculum negotiation. The study demonstrates that although many challenges exist for teachers and schools seeking to negotiate the curriculum, sustaining a negotiated curriculum is still possible, and Boomer’s ideas are highly relevant to classrooms today.

Nadine Crane

Nadine Crane is a primary school teacher who is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Education. Her current roles include Lead of Research in Schools for the Ngarrngga project. Prior to joining the FoE, Nadine worked extensively with schools as a consultant in the areas of integrated curriculum and inquiry based learning, with a specific focus on the inclusion of student voice and agency by negotiating the curriculum. During her time lecturing in the Master of Teaching, Nadine has worked across the core subjects in pedagogy and assessment, and was the coordinator for Clinical Teaching Practice practicum subjects in the Master of Teaching Primary for many years. Nadine's PhD research is focussed on how primary schools sustain the pedagogical practice of negotiating the curriculum with students.

K. 31 Democracy in schools as a pathway to stronger global democracies 

Dr. Neha Singh

K.32 School Attendance & Refusal (TBC) 

Tiffany Westphal 

K.33 Beyond a Badge: Rethinking Student Voice Paradigms School Governance and The Implications on Civic Responsibility 

Tien Tran 

Democracy offers pathways to decolonisation, representation, accountability, transparency, individual rights, peaceful conflict resolution, social equity and justice, and adaptability, among others. Most of the world population lives in ‘democracies’, but they range from full to flawed and hybrid democracies, and around 36% live under authoritarian regimes. These figures are concerning, particularly as, in recent years, we have seen an increase in the election of governments and the emergence of fringe groups for whom equality and the rule of law are not priorities. Within this context, immediate and long-term strategies to strengthen democracies are required. This study explores one such strategy in education.

Democratic schools enable students to control their personal study plans, run the school with other school stakeholders, and have a voice in all school issues via deliberation and voting. Most schools within Australia fall into the Mainstream school category, which is defined by the absence of these features. Prior research describing the experiences of democratic students exists, but this study compares democratic and mainstream schools in the context of their democratic potential; an area which has yet to be extensively explored.

To answer the key research question, what key similarities and differences emerge between democratic and mainstream schools from the analysis of their policy documents and website content? I analysed data from mainstream and democratic schools (n=4) in Australia using qualitative content and thematic analysis methods. Six themes describing similarities and differences between the two school types vis-à-vis the schools’ salient features as well as beliefs that underpin them were identified. Notable were the stark differences in the conceptualisation of community, schools’ beliefs about students, and students’ voices. Unsurprisingly, students’ voices emerged as a key area of difference, but it was remarkable to discover the ways community conceptualisation and schools’ beliefs about students lead to the structures supporting students’ voices. The interrelated impacts of these three themes on other aspects of schooling are also meaningful. To summarise, a community of equals, with enabling beliefs about students, emerged as necessary for students’ voices and strong democracies to flourish in schools.

My research suggests that these themes are transferable across school systems and can help create authentic democracies in schools and, over time, can influence how democracies function.

Dr. Neha Singh

Dr Neha Singh is an academic at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education. She specialises in interdisciplinary research with mixed methods, focusing on democracy, well-being, comparative education, and psychometrics. She is also a certified mental health first aider and brings a trauma-informed lens to teaching. She has an MA in Education from University College London and has worked for several years as a teacher, teacher-trainer, curriculum specialist, and researcher in different contexts. 

Student leadership culture and mechanisms in schools are important in shaping young people’s view of civic engagement, grassroots organisation and leadership in professional and political settings. Student governments have the potential to be channels for change-making in wider society, producing generations of lifelong leaders. This presentation explores how student leadership can be meaningfully cultivated within school environments to foster active citizenship and participatory decision-making. It explores factors in public schools that incentivise, or otherwise discourage students to participate in school-related, extracurricular, and leadership opportunities available to them. By comparing university admission criteria, educational culture and school systems in various countries around the world including Australia, an overview on students’ motives and sentiments can be understood.

Furthermore, empirical data and case studies from the functioning of student government and school council across various schools in Victoria are employed to provide perspectives on the efficacy of student organisation, prompting teachers and students to question existing structures and/or how we can build upon the progress achieved hitherto.

While this presentation examines Student Voice and Empowerment on wider scopes in Victoria and in Australia, it especially aims to facilitate discussions on how our local communities can be structured and leverage on existing resources in order to support such rights of students. Additionally, grassroots student-led movements (fundraising, petitions, political advocacy, consultations) are utilised as examples of processes in which change can start from something small and compound over time.

Drawing on lived experience and observations, findings point to the skill sets involved in student leadership and how peer-to-peer influences play a role in amplifying student voice and student involvement within schools. Student Voice is a medium through which young people become proactive in their lives, exercise civic responsibility and leave an impact on their community. It’s time we reconsider the paradigms surrounding that in order to incentivise and support as many prospective leaders as possible

Tien Tran

Tien is a passionate advocate for Youth Voices and Empowerment, especially in the Education sector which has a tremendous impact on the lives of most, if not all young people. Serving her school community as College Captain this year, she represents the needs of the student body on a higher decision-making level and provides guidance to the Student Leadership Team in organising school-wide events, activities, and fundraisers. Tien has a background in organising youth advocacy movements at her local council, as well as volunteering with the VicSRC to consult on policies affecting students all around Victoria. She is excited to contribute to her lived experiences, and to learn from others in building progress on Student Voice in Australia. She also hopes to bring take-aways from SVC 2025 to the Yale Young Global Scholars program later this year to find shared solutions with young change-makers from around the globe.

Largely missing from the research on school attendance difficulties is student voice.  Much of the research and literature on the topic frames “school refusal” as either a misbehaviour or a psychopathology.  But what if distress about school attendance is considered a reasonable protective response to either chronic or severe stress, which leaves students feeling unsafe? 

Westphal’s Student Stress Investigation helps students communicate about the things at school that might be causing them distress.  Without tuning into student voice, those trying to support students, risk responding to them in ways that magnify their distress and worsen mental health.  When we know what is causing distress then we can collaborate to remove and address stressors and barriers, resulting in students that feel seen and supported. 

Westphal will share insights into some of the things that students frequently tell her cause them difficulties.  She will also share what the parents and carers of School Can’t Australia say the top school-based stressors impacting their children / teens are.

Tiffany Westphal

Tiffany Westphal is a social worker, a parent of a neurodivergent teen who has experienced “school can’t”, and a director of national parent/carer support group: School Can’t Australia which has 15,000+ members.  She is also the designer of a resource called Student Stress Investigation (SSI).  Westphal works with Universities and Education authorities to help improve understandings about school can’t and focus attention on student and parent/carer lived experience.