Youth Affairs Council Of Victoria Inc

Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) is the peak body and leading advocate for young people and the youth sector in Victoria. Our vision is that the rights of young people in Victoria are respected, and they are active, visible and valued in their communities. Our mission is to propel action that inspires positive change for young people and the youth sector. Though we are here for all young people in Victoria, we maintain a particular focus on young people who face marginalisation and disadvantage, through our key services YACVic Rural, the Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), and our HEY (LGBTIQA+) program. To achieve our mission, we: 1. Elevate voices of young people and the youth sector to institutions of power: In 2024 YACVic worked to increase the influence of young people, facilitating engagement in youth mental health policy, supporting disabled young people to codesign tools for better learning outcomes, and creating digital storytelling resources to tackle discrimination in schools. 2. Promote solutions by identifying and recommending policy and advocacy ideas on issues that affect young people: In 2024 YACVic engaged in key areas including: o Mental health: Coconvening youth mental health policy groups and advocating for Trans and Gender Diverse rights. o Housing and homelessness: Leading the youth housing alliance and contributing to housing strategy submissions. o Youth justice: Advocating for reforms, including youth justice bills and restorative justice. o Education and employment: Engaging in inquiries on education systems. o Disability inclusion: Promoting direct engagement of disabled young people in government consultations. 3. Build capacity through resourcing and promoting highquality youth work, participation and leadership: In 2024 YACVic updated developed or updated major resources including the Youth Engagement Resource Platform (YERP) and the Code of Ethical Practice, supported youth advisory groups, and developed a National Student Consent Study. 4. Nurture connections by convening groups and enabling platforms for coordination, support and collaboration: In 2024 YACVic facilitated over 700 members in the Youth Participation Practice Network (YPPN), hosted training events, and led initiatives like the biennial Rural Youth Awards to celebrate youth achievements. 5. Advance thinking by partnering on research and consultations on emerging issues for young people: In 2024 YACVic continued to partner with Victoria University on research related to disaster response and recovery and commenced development of a Centre of Excellence in Young People and Disaster Resilience.