Student leadership culture and mechanisms in schools are important in shaping young people’s view of civic engagement, grassroots organisation and leadership in professional and political settings. Student governments have the potential to be channels for change-making in wider society, producing generations of lifelong leaders. This presentation explores how student leadership can be meaningfully cultivated within school environments to foster active citizenship and participatory decision-making. It explores factors in public schools that incentivise, or otherwise discourage students to participate in school-related, extracurricular, and leadership opportunities available to them. By comparing university admission criteria, educational culture and school systems in various countries around the world including Australia, an overview on students’ motives and sentiments can be understood.

Furthermore, empirical data and case studies from the functioning of student government and school council across various schools in Victoria are employed to provide perspectives on the efficacy of student organisation, prompting teachers and students to question existing structures and/or how we can build upon the progress achieved hitherto.

While this presentation examines Student Voice and Empowerment on wider scopes in Victoria and in Australia, it especially aims to facilitate discussions on how our local communities can be structured and leverage on existing resources in order to support such rights of students. Additionally, grassroots student-led movements (fundraising, petitions, political advocacy, consultations) are utilised as examples of processes in which change can start from something small and compound over time.

Drawing on lived experience and observations, findings point to the skill sets involved in student leadership and how peer-to-peer influences play a role in amplifying student voice and student involvement within schools. Student Voice is a medium through which young people become proactive in their lives, exercise civic responsibility and leave an impact on their community. It’s time we reconsider the paradigms surrounding that in order to incentivise and support as many prospective leaders as possible

Tien Tran

Tien is a passionate advocate for Youth Voices and Empowerment, especially in the Education sector which has a tremendous impact on the lives of most, if not all young people. Serving her school community as College Captain this year, she represents the needs of the student body on a higher decision-making level and provides guidance to the Student Leadership Team in organising school-wide events, activities, and fundraisers. Tien has a background in organising youth advocacy movements at her local council, as well as volunteering with the VicSRC to consult on policies affecting students all around Victoria. She is excited to contribute to her lived experiences, and to learn from others in building progress on Student Voice in Australia. She also hopes to bring take-aways from SVC 2025 to the Yale Young Global Scholars program later this year to find shared solutions with young change-makers from around the globe.