The Youth Coalition of the ACT

08/04/2026

Do you work with young people? This training is for you. 👏

Talk to Them is a free two-day in-person training for anyone whose work involves young people — whether you're a youth worker, teacher, health professional, coach, or anything in between.

📅 Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 April 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 4:30pm each day
📍 Youth Coalition of the ACT, 46 Clianthus Street, O'Connor
💰 Free

The training, we will equip you with the necessary knowledge and confidence to Understand, Recognise, and Respond to DFV in your work with young people, then safely Refer them to specialist DFV services, and continue to support them to navigate the specialist DFV support system.

👉 Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/talk-to-them-training-for-youth-workers-april-2026

16/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate the Annual YOGIE Awards 2025! A huge congratulations to all the exceptional nominees and winners. Your dedication, hard work, and achievements are truly inspiring and continue to make a remarkable difference in our community.

02/11/2025

Today is the last day to nominate an outstanding individual or program that works with young people for the Annual YOGIE Awards 2025. Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the good work that happens in the youth sector!⁠
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For more information and to submit your nomination today, visit: https://www.youthcoalition.net/yogies/

29/10/2025

Been thinking of recognising the outstanding work of someone in the youth sector? Now's your chance!⁠
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Nominations for the Annual YOGIE Awards 2025 close this coming Monday November 3.⁠
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For more info and to nominate, visit: https://www.youthcoalition.net/yogies/

26/10/2025

Nominations for the Annual YOGIES Awards 2025 close a week from now on November 3.
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Don't forget to have a look through this year's award offerings and nominate at: https://www.youthcoalition.net/yogies/

23/10/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of our website Fair Play!

You can now visit it here: https://fairplay.org.au/

It was wonderful to see so many people come together during Gambling Harm Action Week to support this important initiative. Fair Play represents a vital step forward in protecting children and young people from online gambling harm, and your presence showed how much this work matters to our community.

We're very grateful to our speakers for their contributions. Thank you to Marisa Paterson MLA, Minister for Gaming Reform, David Pocock, Senator for the ACT, Professor Rebekah Brown, Interim Vice-Chancellor at the ANU, and Prof Matthew Gray, Director of ANU@POLIS, for your and insights. A special thank you to Hunter a young person from our codesign committee who shared his perspective on the issue.

This project would not have been possible without the more than 50 children, young people, parents, youth workers and those with lived experience who participated in the iterative codesign process over the past 12 months. Your insights were invaluable in shaping every aspect of Fair Play.

Thank you to our partners at the ANU Centre for Gambling Research, we're really proud of what we've been able to acheive together. We're also grateful to the Gambling and Racing Commission for funding this work.

We hope you had the chance to explore the Fair Play hub and connect with others who share our commitment to keeping young people safe. Together, we can ensure the next generation grows up free from gambling harm.

Every child and young person deserves to grow up free from gambling harm.

21/10/2025

The Youth Coalition of the ACT is calling for Expressions of Interest from people who would like to nominate for our Board of Directors. This year we are particularly looking for board nominees who have experience in Governance, Risk Management, Finance/Accounting, and Law.

You will join a passionate and dedicated group of community sector leaders and young people who oversee the governance of the organisation.

About the process:
- Complete our short EOI form as soon as possible - EOIs close 9am Monday 10 November.
- Following receipt of your EOI, one of our board member will connect with you to discuss the role in more detail, before you submit a formal nomination.
- Formal nominations will close Tuesday 18 November.
- Board members will be elected / appointed at our AGM on Tuesday 25 November.

A position description is available on our online EOI form.

This form helps us get to know prospective nominees so that we can assess suitability and, where appropriate, support your nomination for election.

29/09/2025

🎮 EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO GROW UP FREE FROM GAMBLING HARM 🏈

You're invited to the launch of Fair Play – Developed through extensive consultation with children, young people, parents and workers across the ACT, Fair Play is a digital hub that offers tools and information to prevent online gambling harms among children and young people.

📅 22 October | 5:45pm-7pm
📍 ANU Campus

Special guests:
✨ Dr Marisa Paterson, Minister for Gaming Reform
✨ Senator David Pocock
This launch is part of Gambling Harm Action Week 2025

👉 Register now: https://events.humanitix.com/fair-play-launch-event

Developed by the Youth Coalition & ANU Centre for Gambling Research through consultation with children, young people, parents & workers across the ACT.

09/07/2025

On Tuesday 1st July 2025, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the ACT was raised to 14. This historic achievement places the ACT in line with international human rights standards and represents a profound shift in how we support young people in our community.

Extensive research shows that early entry into the justice system traps young people in a pipeline to adult disadvantage, closing doors that may never reopen. By providing a service response that prioritises support over punishment, we are giving them an opportunity to thrive. This approach will deliver better outcomes for this young people and their families and strengthen our entire community.

The ACT is now the only jurisdiction in Australia that has implemented a comprehensive service response outside the justice system, instead of locking up children. This will have profound effects on these young people and the Canberra community.

This momentous achievement was accomplished through a careful, incremental approach alongside dedicated funding for essential services. When the minimum age was first raised to 12 in 2023, it provided crucial time to establish the much-needed structures and supports for these young people.

While other jurisdictions have been tightening their laws and increasing punitive measures, the ACT has chosen a different path, one based on evidence, compassion and a genuine care for young people's futures.

The Youth Coalition of the ACT congratulates the ACT government, Community Sector, and all the experts who have worked together to make this momentous achievement possible. Behind this success are numerous advocates who have worked tirelessly for years, often unseen and unrecognised, championing the rights and wellbeing of young people. Reforms like this simply wouldn't have happened without their persistent efforts, unwavering dedication, and commitment to change.

The ACT has proven that a different approach is not only possible but practical. We've shown that investing in evidence-based support systems creates better outcomes for young people and safer communities for everyone.

04/07/2025

The Youth Coalition of the ACT is seeking a Director - Workforce Capability & Practice. This role will work closely with youth workers and youth services in the ACT, to deliver projects and activities which support the youth sector to build its capacity and capability.
The successful applicant will have career experience in the youth sector, in both frontline youth work and team leader roles.

This is a fixed term position, until 30 June 2027.
Applications close 10am Tuesday 15 July.

For more information visit

POSITION Director, Workforce Capability & Projects LEVEL Community Services Worker, Grade 7 REPORTS TO Chief Executive Officer SALARY $119,089 – 124,065 + 12% Superannuation $65.43 – $68.17 hourly rate HOURS 0.8 – 1 FTE (based on 35 hour week) TENURE This is a fixed term position, until 30 Jun...

06/06/2025

Position Vacant: Office Manager/Executive Assistant
The Youth Coalition of the ACT is seeking the glue that keeps our office running and the CEO moving! From handling front desk reception and coordinating events, to managing inboxes, calendars and meeting papers - your role will be vital in ensuring our organisation runs smoothly and professionally.
This is a part time position, that can be school hours friendly.
We are looking for someone who has excellent organisation and time management skills, attention to detail, and is proactive and friendly. We offer above-award employment perks, and are a small, supportive team who love what we do and the impact our work has.
Thanks to Hudson for their support in our recruitment for this position - if you have any queries or wish to submit an application, please contact them directly. There is no set closing date, and applications will be assessed as they come in until the position is filled - so apply soon!

See the following link for more information or to apply:
https://flexhive.applyflow.com/jobview/office-manager-and-executive-assistant-to-ceo/ee6bd76b-8df4-4953-b5f5-d0aab87fe13c/

Join the Youth Coalition of the ACT as their next Office Manager / Executive Assistant - a dynamic, part-time role combining hands-on office coordination with executive support to the CEO. You'll manage everything from front desk operations to minute taking and diary management, all while playing a....

05/03/2025

Today The Home Time Campaign launched their federal election platform, calling on all parties and candidates to commit to action for homeless children and young people.

The platform provides a roadmap to address the structural factors within the current housing system. With the right housing and support, children and young people can find safety, reconnect with education, find a job, and create their own social and support networks. Homelessness steals people's childhoods and their futures and we all have a responsibility to give them that chance.

The next federal government and parliament have the opportunity to change the story. By sending messages to all of our local candidates, we can create lasting change.

You can read Home Time's Federal Election Platform here:
https://www.hometime.org.au/takeaction