Ambassadors arrive in Canberra for the first National Rural Youth Ambassador Forum.
The Country Education Partnership (CEP) is holding its first national Rural Youth Ambassador forum in Canberra. The forum begins today and runs until Friday 26 February.
The Rural Youth Ambassadors is an initiative of the Country Education Partnership and Rural Inspire. Beginning in Victoria in 2011, the program invites year 11 students from rural and remote education communities to participate in a yearlong leadership program.
In 2020, inaugural programs were delivered in New South Wales and South Australia, in addition to the long running Victorian initiative.
The National Forum brings together 18 rural young people from across the three participating states, all of whom participated in the leadership program in 2020.
Representing diverse experiences in culture, gender and rurality, the ambassadors will meet in Canberra to discuss their experiences growing up in rural Australia.
They will have the opportunity to meet with individuals from multiple levels of government as well as three National Ministers whose portfolios relate to Education and Regional Australia: Hon Andrew Gee MP; Hon Alan Tudge MP; and Hon Dan Tehan MP.
The forum aims to push the young ambassadors out of their comfort zones and promote their youth voice in a meaningful way. They will interact with a wide variety of people and will be encouraged to show leadership and creativity in their meetings with Members of Parliament.
Phil Brown, CEO of the Country Education Partnership, will attend the forum and facilitate meetings with representatives of Government.
“I am incredibly excited that we were able to make this National Forum happen, in light of Covid-19,” he said.
“It’s an excellent opportunity for the young people involved to meet with senior government officials and share their stories of growing up in rural Australia,” Mr Brown said.
Julia Enter (RYA Officer), Renae Feder (RYA Officer), Jemma Walsh (RYA Officer) & Phil Brown (CEO of CEP)
“All the Rural Youth Ambassadors from each state have done great work in the last 12 months,” he said.
“They have had many excellent discussions, meetings and built ideas about how we can make growing up rural an even better experience in Australia.”
The students, who are currently completing year 12, will represent a variety of education communities, coming from government, catholic and private schools.
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