The next generation of leaders have been elected as the official voice for youth in Greater Geelong with Youth Council officially inducted this past week.
The event saw 11 young leaders aged between 12 and 17 appointed to the Youth Council at City Hall on Monday January 20.
The group was elected following a vote of their peers, with more than 1600 votes received.
City of Greater Geelong councillors were in attendance to welcome the junior counterparts of their respective wards.
It’s encouraging to see young people eager to take on leadership roles within the community. All 11 junior councillors have demonstrated a keen interest in civic responsibility and an enthusiasm for representing the diverse voices of young people across the region.
It’s important for council to respond to the perspectives of young people in our City, and the Youth Council provides us with valuable insight into the needs and desires of youth in Geelong.
The program effectively acts as a way for young people in the City to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. The group will provide recommendations and quarterly reports to council, which will play a vital role in our decision making.
Recommendations will be delivered at council meetings by the junior mayor and junior deputy mayor, who were appointed following Youth Council’s vote at the ceremony on Monday.
I am pleased to welcome junior mayor Ayush Singh and junior deputy mayor Alanah Forbes.
We at council look forward to hearing the recommendations shared by Ayush and Alanah over the course of the year and are eager to see how their leadership skills develop throughout their term.
Leadership development is a key pillar of the Youth Council program. During their time in office, Youth Council members will develop new skills, learn about civic and democratic processes, and will connect with other like-minded young people.
Junior councillors are also afforded the chance to improve valuable skills like public speaking, with speaking opportunities at junior council and youth development events.
Mentorship is also an integral component of the Youth Council, whereby junior councillors partake in the Councillor Connect Mentoring Program.
This mentorship provides training and development sessions with City councillors, who will offer guidance and support to the young leaders over the course of their one-year term to help them achieve their full potential.
Now in its seventh year, the Youth Council advisory committee has enacted positive change through a range of projects since its inception.
Multiple Youth Councils worked together on the development of the brand-new Nest Youth Hub on Gheringhap Street, which officially opened on January 23.
Over three years, separate Youth Councils advocated for a youth space in Geelong CBD, with an aim to provide access to support services, as well as a functional space to hang out and socialise.
The 2022 and 2023 Youth Councils played central roles in the Nest’s progress, and the 2024 group was instrumental in the design process.
It’s fitting then that the Nest should open the same week as the 2025 Youth Council’s induction.
We look forward to seeing how this new cohort will utilise this space for future youth projects.
Equally, council eagerly awaits the group’s first recommendations as it advocates for positive change for the youth of our city.
