About Us
We are a non-partisan, not for profit on a mission to improve political participation, representation and civic engagement amongst young Australians.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where young people are central to solution building, policy-making and lasting change through politics.
Why We Exist
01. We need better civic education.
Schools-based civics education programs have failed to equip young people with the tools, knowledge and experience that promote and encourage active citizenship. Young people feel ill-equipped to participate in the political process and aren't taught the knowledge or skills to confidently participate in our political process.
02. Our politics is hard to
follow.
The culture of formalised politics can come across as one of conflict, cynicism and distrust, resulting in a lack of political authenticity for young viewers. Key issues and important messages can get lost amidst the dramatic unfolding of Question Time– often the only televised exposure that many young people have to parliamentary processes.
03. Pathways to Parliament don’t exist.
Young people don’t get enough opportunities to engage with politicians and political commentators on the issues shaping our nation. We believe young people should be key and active participants in designing Australia's future - not just when it comes to issues affecting youth, but when it comes to all issues shaping our nation.
04. We need young people in politics.
On average, less than 2% of people under 25 hold positions in Local Council. This trend of the under-representation of young people in politics continues in state and federal politics, where less than 2% of Federal MPs are under 30 years old.
Many young people have an interest in issues affecting our country but the pathways to parliament are unclear.
Candidate Stories
Hadi Saab: On caring deeply for community.
“Your opinion matters, your perspective is important and you should run. If you are passionate and committed and believe that you can make real, impactful and meaningful change, you should do it!”
Our Theory of Change
We believe that our current political and civic landscape is one where young people are systematically under-engaged, under-represented and have increasingly fractured trust in our democracy.
We want to change this. Our theory of change is based on a three step model: Learn. Engage. Run.
Our Impact
Read our submission to the Victorian Youth Strategy 2021
We welcome and support the development of the Victorian Youth Strategy by Minister Ross Spence. Whilst the discussion paper talks about the accessibility of government services through consultation and boards, the term ‘politics’ does not appear once in the discussion paper. We believe more can and should be done to support and encourage young people to be more aware and meaningfully engage in politics.