YACSA Communities of Practice: Meaningful youth participation in practice

YACSA's Communities of Practice

YACSA's Communities of Practice are structured, peer-led sessions designed to strengthen practice across the sector. They provide space for people working across the youth sector in South Australia to share experience, surface emerging challenges, and learn from one another in a way that builds collective knowledge and confidence.

They are not training sessions, briefings or consultations. Instead, they are facilitated conversations focused on practical insight, reflection and shared learning.

Each Community of Practice:

• focuses on a live practice issue

• is discussion-based and participatory

• prioritises psychological safety and confidentiality

• supports participants to leave with ideas and insight they can apply in their own context

Communities of Practice run bi-monthly and are free and open to youth sector workers across SA, hosted online so that we can also engage our regional colleagues. You’re welcome to attend one session or return regularly.

Session three: From engagement to participation

Across the youth sector, there is growing recognition that young people should have meaningful influence over the decisions that affect their lives. But what does meaningful youth participation actually look like in practice? How do we move beyond consultation to create opportunities for young people to shape services, organisations and systems? 

Whether you're designing programs, developing policy, delivering services or making organisational decisions, meaningful youth participation has an important role to play in achieving better outcomes for young people. 

Join guest speaker Katie Acheson as she shares insights from her extensive leadership in the Australian youth sector and the international learnings from her recent Winston Churchill Fellowship on youth participation. Drawing on her experience as former CEO of Youth Action NSW and batyr, and former Chair of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC), Katie will share practical learnings from Australia and internationally on what meaningful youth participation looks like in practice and the systems that make it sustainable. 

More than a guest presentation, this session continues the spirit of our Communities of Practice by creating space to ask questions, share experiences and learn from the collective wisdom and expertise of the South Australian youth sector.

Together we'll explore: 

• International examples of youth participation that create lasting impact. 

• Local SA examples of what meaningful youth participation looks like in practice. 

• Models of youth participation that are creating genuine influence and impact. 

• The organisational systems, culture and conditions that enable young people's influence to be sustained. 

• Common barriers to meaningful youth participation, and practical strategies to overcome them. 

• Ideas, tools and approaches you can apply within your own organisation and community. 

Whether you're new to youth work and looking to build your understanding of youth participation, or an experienced practitioner seeking to strengthen youth participation within your organisation, this session offers practical insights, shared learning and opportunities to connect with peers also working in this space. 

When: Thursday 30 July 10–11:30am
Where: Online (Zoom meeting link delivered prior to event)
Who: Youth sector workers, team leaders, managers and senior practitioners

Places are limited to support meaningful discussion, please RSVP to reserve your place.