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.

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.

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.

Student-Led Climate Action 

How can students drive meaningful action on climate change in schools and communities? 

Students are often at the forefront of climate activism, yet schools and institutions can be slow to respond. This session explores how students can lead real change, from advocating for sustainable school policies to engaging with local councils and national decision-makers. What are the biggest barriers to student-led climate action? How can schools better support student initiatives? What strategies have been successful in embedding sustainability into education? 

These sessions are designed to be participant-led, meaning the conversation will evolve based on the interests, experiences, and ideas of those in the room. Facilitators will let the discussion flow organically and only refer to the prompts if needed to spark new ideas or refocus the conversation.