Rural Youth Ambassadors
Fostering youth aspirations within our rural and remote communities is a critical area of work for CEP, ensuring all students ‘learn aspiration’ and become aware of opportunities.
Country Education Partnership (CEP) developed the Rural Youth Ambassadors program to provide young people within rural communities the opportunity to develop their ambassadorial amplitude while strengthening their leadership skills and capacity. By partnering with education sectors, rural communities and governments the program aims to enhance and improve the lives, learning opportunities and educational outcomes of rural young people.
The Program
The Rural Youth Ambassador program comprises a number of elements that the rural young people involved are required to participate in. In general, they include:
- Rural Youth Ambassador Forums, face to face – held 4 times a year over three days
- Online discussion groups and working groups;
- Development of a key actions focused on solutions to an identified challenge.
The four face-to-face forums are generally held within Melbourne or a regional centre. The format of the forums encompasses three key elements including:
- Leadership growth and development;
- Discussion groups on addressing challenges within rural and remote communities;
- Development of a proposed solution to the challenges identified; and
- Meeting with, and discussing key areas with governments education sector personnel, and key stakeholder groups.
Who is it for?
A Rural Youth Ambassador is:
- Enrolled in Yr 10 or 11 within a rural/remote community;
- Able to demonstrate that they can meet timelines and achieve identified outcomes;
- Someone who has a dedicated and strong commitment to their studies Able to demonstrate leadership within their local communities;
- A young person from any and all diverse backgrounds and experiences; Endorsed and supported by their school, family and community.
- Ability to drive the work of their own school Student Representative Committee.
Opportunities
Throughout the Rural Youth Ambassador program, the young people who are nominated will have the chance to be involved in a number of activities, workshops and conferences that are provided throughout the program. The following is a brief outline of some of these possibilities.
Local Community Participation:
The young people are encouraged to participate in a local organization during their time as a Rural Youth Ambassador. These could include becoming a Board Member, Committee of Management Member, coaching, leading youth groups or a leadership role within their community.
Government Initiatives:
Rural Youth Ambassadors are invited to participate in a range of discussions, or working groups, that are established by governments. In the past Rural Youth Ambassadors have been represented on Rural Education Working Groups, participated in reviews undertaken by the state and national governments, contributed to the national review of rural and remote education, as well as meeting regularly with the Ministers for Education.
Conferences, Forums and Workshops:
Rural Youth Ambassadors are encouraged to be involved in conferences, forums, and workshops that focus on rural and remote communities. In the past, this has included Rural Community Leadership conferences and International Forums, regional Education Forums, State Rural Education Conferences, and National Rural Education Forums and Conferences. In many cases, Rural Youth Ambassadors have been invited to provide Keynote Presentations and facilitation of workshops.
Interstate and Overseas Conference/Seminars:
The Rural Youth Ambassadors may be invited to participate in overseas conferences and seminars during their involvement. In the past, this has included attending the International Student Voice Conference in Malaysia, the National Social Ventures Australia Symposium, and the CEP education leaders tour of the United Kingdom, as well as the National.
Leadership Development:
Through engaging in workshops, forums, conferences and mentoring sessions, the Rural Youth Ambassadors will have the opportunity to develop and enhance leadership skills in a supportive environment. Rural Youth Ambassadors are also involved in providing leadership development programs for fellow young people in rural and remote communities.
Coordination
CEP will ensure that the youth ambassadors are fully supervised during the face-to-face forums by adults who hold both a Police Check and Working with Children check.
School Support
Rural and Remote communities are expected to provide support to those young people invited to participate in the Rural Youth Ambassador program through their local school.
This comes in the form of:
- Supporting the Ambassadors in covering the costs of travel, and facilitating their attendance at activities of the program, thus minimising any financial burden to participants;
- Supporting the involvement of Rural Youth Ambassadors in programs, conferences, forums, etc that form part of the program throughout the year.
- Taking an interest in the program by meeting with the Rural Youth Ambassadors regularly;
- Attending activities organised by the Rural Youth Ambassador program where appropriate;
- Supporting the Rural Youth Ambassadors in ensuring they are not disadvantaged within their school program as a result of being involved in the Rural Youth Ambassadors program.
Program Highlights
Over the past 2 years, 45 young people from across Rural Victoria have participated in the Rural Youth Ambassadors program. During this time they have engaged with a range of people including members of the Victorian Government, The Department of Education, The Regional Education Commissioner and a number of people from a wide range of community groups.
In 2023, our Ambassadors prioritised 4 key areas of policy work and presented their findings to key people from the above groups. These key areas were as follows:
- Senior Secondary Schools career and pathways options for rural students.
- Creating a more sustainable and updated model for Work Experience.
- Meeting the challenges of providing positive mental health services and support in rural school communities.
- Promoting the work of the Regional Education Support Network across rural Victoria.
In 2024, our Ambassadors focussed on the following key areas.
- Supporting Disengaged and Disadvantaged students in rural locations.
- Understanding and promoting student voice and advocacy in rural schools.
- Meeting the challenges of online learning for rural and isolated students.
- Addressing the Teacher recruitment and retention challenges.
Some of our recent highlights include the following:
- Ambassadors volunteering and participating in the Energy Breakthrough
- Working closely with the Victorian Student Representative Council and the Multicultural Youth Commission
- Consultation with RYAs re the Mental Heath fund and menu
- Ambassadors participating in a wide range of reference groups, working parties and consultation initiatives. (E.g. One of our
- Ambassadors was recently Co-Chair of The Victorian Youth Congress)
- Ambassadors developing life-long friendships and learning
Background
The then State Minister for Higher Education and Skills, The Hon Peter Hall launched the inaugural Rural Youth Ambassadors at the Country Education Partnerships 2011 Rural Learning Summit.
Since then, The Ambassadors program has gone from strength to strength with applications increasing over the last two years.
CEP believes that youth ambassadorship is much more than gaining a youth perspective. It is about empowering young people to think and act within a complex environment, develop their own leadership skills, and contribute to the discussions and deliberations on issues influencing their lives and their learning within a partnership framework at a local, state and national level.
CEP is committed to providing an ongoing opportunity for rural and remote young people to be involved in the Rural Youth Ambassador initiative.
There is a growing interest in the concept of “Youth Ambassadors” within education. It provides young people of today with the skills of confidence, communication, leadership, problem-solving, creative thinking and building positive relationships; all essential traits required in our rapidly developing world.
A strong youth agency is becoming more highly regarded by governments, education sectors, and the broader community, as a way to empower and allow for an ever-changing society.