A City of Greater Geelong youth program has been recognised for its groundbreaking approach to shaping young leaders by being nominated as a finalist for a local government award.
The LGPro Awards for Excellence promote and celebrate the outstanding work being undertaken and delivered by individuals and teams working in Local Government in Victoria.
The 2023 Awards span 11 award categories, with the City of Greater Geelong’s Youth on Board program entered in the Community Partnerships Initiative category.
Run by the City’s Youth Development Unit, Youth on Board is an innovative program encouraging young people to become board members of local organisations.
The program recruits young people aged 18 to 25 years, trains them in governance and supports them to be placed on the boards of management of local organisations.
Along with a structured mentoring component, where the organisations provide a board member to mentor the young people in relevant components of board experience, the program also provides ongoing coaching, support and reflective practice to the young people and the organisations.
Bellarine Ward councillor Jim Mason praised the program and said that young people engaging with local boards had numerous benefits.
“The young people are destined to learn a great deal about leadership and governance, while at the same time the organisations will benefit from having a young voice presenting a contemporary world view,” he said.
“Young people are naturally curious and will challenge the status quo, so the City’s 18-to-25-year-olds will assist groups across Greater Geelong to tailor their organisations to attract a wider scope of consumers.
“Our Youth Development team can be proud of their efforts in devising this program and a nomination of this kind is a great reflection on their efforts.”
The winner will be announced at a celebratory dinner on Thursday May 25.
