Chair

Jenna is an experienced educator who has worked with students, teachers, and leaders across primary, secondary, and tertiary education contexts for more than 16 years. An Associate Professor and researcher, her work aims to understand and address inequity and threats to wellbeing in student educational experiences through participatory rights-based approaches to educational transformation and school improvement. Jenna holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology, two post-graduate degrees in Education, a Master of Education, a Master of Evaluation, and a PhD (Children’s perspectives and Wellbeing). She is also a Justice of the Peace (Qual) and holds full teacher registration.

Jenna is also a member of the Australian Framework for Student Empowerment Steering Committee.

Treasurer

Claire is an education academic and experienced school teacher and leader. She is currently the co-ordinator of HSIE Curriculum (Secondary) in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. Prior to taking up her academic role, Claire held executive leadership roles as Leader of Pedagogy and Head of Professional Practice. Claire’s research spans both the history of schooling as well as contemporary classroom-based projects exploring the relationship between education policy, teacher practice and student experience. She has a particular interest in the impact of teacher professional learning on changing teacher practice and in broader school reform. She is part of the Culturally Nourishing Schooling research project, a collaborative research study investigating new ways to provide equitable, quality schooling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Holly Haswell-Smith is the Middle School Head of Department at Yeronga State High School, where she leads with a reflective and pragmatic approach to educational change. With 19 years of teaching experience across both primary and secondary settings, Holly brings a deep understanding of learner development and school culture to her leadership.

She works to embed authentic learner agency across school structures, pedagogy, and culture. In her current role, Holly collaborates with students and staff to foster environments where young people are empowered to think independently, participate meaningfully in decision-making, and shape their learning experiences. Her work includes designing student led summits on equity and identity and codeveloping micro credentialing pathways for active citizenship among student leaders.

Recent projects under Holly’s leadership—such as the Horizons Women’s Hub and the Global Competence initiative—have contributed to Yeronga SHS being named a finalist in three education awards. These initiatives reflect her commitment to systems level change that is inclusive, sustainable, and grounded in student voice.

Holly’s passion lies in activating student voice and helping transform it into tangible, meaningful impact within schools. She is particularly interested in how schools can remain agile and relevant by co-creating learning with students, while also supporting educators to reimagine the role of teacher as facilitator, coach, and learner.

Dr Deborah Netolicky is Principal of Walford Anglican School for Girls and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the University of Adelaide. She holds a PhD in education, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and previously served as Chair of the Board of Karrinyup Primary School. Her recent awards include 2024 ‘Principal of the Year – Non-Government’ Excellence Awardee in the Australian Education Awards, 2024 ACEL SA Media Award, and the 2023 ACEL Hedley Beare Award for Educational Writing. Deborah is host of The Edu Salon podcast, author of Transformational Professional Learning: Making a Difference in Schools, and Editor of Future Alternatives for School Leadership: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Democracy and Flip the System Australia: What Matters in Education.

Grant Sciberras is an experienced educator and researcher with a passion for student engagement and voice in education. With extensive teaching experience across diverse contexts—including secondary, primary, university and international settings—he specializes in implementing innovative, student-centered curriculum approaches. Grant currently teaches pre-service teachers at Western Sydney University, Victoria University and Sydney University in English literacy, numeracy and assessment policy, research and pedagogical practice.

His research interests focus on curriculum co-design and student participation, supported by his Masters and PhD studies at the University of Sydney, exploring opportunities for student choice and leadership within their learning. Grant has also founded and led education start-ups, experimenting in curriculu design through student-led projects and working with community partners to enhance learning experiences beyond traditional classrooms. His combination of practical teaching, research, leadership, and entrepreneurial initiatives uniquely qualifies him to support student voice and elevate student perspectives among education stakeholders at a national level.

Executive Director & Company Secretary

Mitch is the Founder of the Australian Council for Student Voice. Mitch worked with a passionate team to build the ACSV following the 2019 Student Voice Conference, in response to the need for a national body to bring the sector together. Mitch is passionate about fostering participatory environments where all those passionate about student voice can come together in the sharing of knowledge. Mitch is also passionate about youth advocacy and empowerment, particularly in civics education. He is an award-winning leader, and beyond his work in the education sector, Mitch is a post-graduate student completing a Master of International Relations at Deakin University in Victoria.

Mitch is also a member of the Australian Framework for Student Empowerment Steering Committee.

Katrina Stuve is a dedicated education professional with deep expertise in youth engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and policy advisory. She currently serves as Acting Manager of Minister Councils at the NSW Department of Education, where she plays a strategic role in fostering intergovernmental coordination.

Katrina is best known for her national leadership in student voice. As Secretariat for the National Student Voice Council (NSVC), she led the design and implementation of a landmark initiative bringing together 32 student representatives from across sectors and jurisdictions. Under her guidance, the NSVC engaged thousands of students through online forums, shaped national conversations about education, and delivered a substantive set of recommendations directly to the Federal Education Minister, The Hon. Jason Clare.

Previously, Katrina served as Senior Adviser to the Minister's Councils, where she supported high-level advisory processes and ministerial engagement across New South Wales. Her work consistently reflects a commitment to embedding authentic student participation in education systems and ensuring that young people are meaningfully heard in the decisions that affect them.