As 2025 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible journey of our Youth Voice students this year. From creative projects to community advocacy, these young people have shown passion, leadership, and creativity in spades!
A Big Thank You to Our Partners
First, a huge shout-out to Vincentia High School, and especially teachers Anna, Steve, and Sue (SLSO) for joining us on this journey. Your support and guidance have been invaluable in helping our students achieve their goals.
Project Skate – Moving into Community Custodianship
In October, thanks to financial support from Bendigo Bank, our students teamed up with Totem Skateboarding to run two fantastic workshops for local youth at Sanctuary Point and Sussex Inlet.
The excitement didn’t stop there! At a recent meeting with the Sussex Inlet Neighbourhood Centre and Chamber of Commerce, Oscar and Annabelle confidently presented a proposal for the Centre to take custodianship of Project Skate formally. This plan includes creating a sub-committee to support the long-term advocacy and development of the skate park concept.
We’ll also be providing both organisations with a detailed report early next year, including all the data collected by Project Skate to help guide its future.
FADIC – Achievements & Exciting Opportunities Ahead
A huge congratulations to Ariah and Willow, the masterminds behind FADIC. This term, they ran eight successful drop-in sessions, gathering strong evidence that a youth drop-in centre is both important and genuinely wanted in our region.
Even more exciting, FADIC has been awarded a grant to run six day-long drop-ins in January 2026! Details about these sessions will be shared later this month, so stay tuned.
We also want to thank Vincentia Community Connections for their amazing support – without them, this project simply wouldn’t have been possible.
Squids on Show – Creative Connections & Future Opportunities
Our young musicians Ace, Baxter, and Noah recently had the incredible opportunity to meet with Adam Sofo (ex-Silverchair) and John Mackey (Vince Jones Quartet). A warm thank you to Leanne and the Vincentia Matters / Vincentia Connections team, and to Vanessa Barbay for her exceptional support – including stepping in as student drummer at the St Georges Basin Superhero event!
Since the pitch event, Squids on Show has performed three times, thanks to opportunities offered by Sanctuary Point Community Pride, Vincentia Community Connections, and St Georges Basin Country Club. And there’s more to look forward to, the Dunn Lewis Centre in partnership with Firefly, has secured a grant to host a Youth Week Band/Arts event in April 2026 – a huge opportunity for young creatives in the area!
L1Give – A Learning Experience
While L1Give won’t proceed this year, it’s been a valuable learning experience for our students and Firefly alike. The concept was strong, but timing and capacity made it difficult to deliver the project as it deserved. Students gained important insights into project management, collaboration, and timing – skills they’ll carry into future projects.
Graduation & Looking Ahead
Our 2025 students recently celebrated the end of their journey with a trip to Tree Tops Adventures in North Nowra, followed by a simple Graduation Ceremony during a pizza picnic by the Shoalhaven River.
We’re beyond proud of this year’s cohort! Over the course of the program, students have developed skills in:
- Public speaking and presentation
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Problem-solving and advocacy
- Project management and leadership
- Creative thinking and innovation
Looking ahead, 17 students are signed up for the 2026 Youth Voice Project, and our adventure with this new cohort kicks off next week with our launch session with Sonder Youth.
Thank You!
To everyone who has supported, cheered on, and believed in these young people – thank you! Your enthusiasm and encouragement make all the difference. We can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store.
Stay tuned for our 2025 Project Review, coming early next year, which will include all the data and outcomes from this year’s projects.