2022 YLAA National Tour Report

"Life changing. Please never stop what you're doing"

It has taken some time to pull the words together to express the gratitude for each and every human who made our 2022 YLAA tour not only a reality but a life-changing experience for so many incredible young people across the nation.

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The results outlined in the document here are a reflection of the wisdom, resilience, leadership, integrity and authenticity each speaker, panellist, guest and team member showed up with throughout the events. To them, I say thank you for the support, encouragement and enthusiasm throughout the events.

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Additionally, to the teachers, educators and school teams that support the students day in - day out, I would like to acknowledge you - thank you for your interest in building our young people into leaders. I am grateful more than you could ever imagine.

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I genuinely believe that together we dramatically shifted the future of our nation and world in a positive direction.

With just shy of 7500 students registered, the results achieved as a result of this tour directly are something the team are extraordinarily proud of. The phase of the program that we don't see is the indirect results - at the events, students are encouraged and supported to "teach what they are taught". Additionally, all students are invited to participate in our ten-week LeaderUp post-event program, which provides students with the skills, resources, and support to identify an issue in their school or community and create meaningful change.

"I got so much out of today. I have a lot of social anxiety but the environment today made me feel so comfortable and I'm forever grateful for that... you and your team have really inspired me"

"Thank you for such a rewarding and engaging conference, the whole team of you are inspirational and we thank you for your sprinkling of goodness in every way, so many gems and learning points to help not just students but us teachers, educators and humans in general!!!"

"I was watching virtually today and would like to say it was really engaging and lots of fun. It changed my perspective on leadership and how to act in a leadership position"

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What have the teachers said?

It is essential to recognise that our program and events only happen thanks to the teachers, educators, families and school team's commitment to a better future. We design all of our programs with not only our young people in mind but ensuring those supporting them also benefit from the lessons that can be learnt at our events.

After 2021 feedback, additional consultation from educators and developing our first-ever Youth Advisory Board to advise us on programs, we built a one day program for both primary and secondary students that we are genuinely proud of. A program that every minute of delivery was carefully designed for a purpose and a program that was able to adapt to the room's needs. The greatness of the program is reflected in the feedback.

"Greatest extracurricular education program I have been to in my 20+ Years of teaching"

"This was one of the best leadership days I have ever been to with our students. We all learned different things and all can bring them to the table when making our school a better place. It inspired us in different and similar ways that all enjoyed, students loved it and were excited to go to school to see what we can implement."

"I attended the hybrid session on a big screen in our Conference Room with our Head Girl and Boy. They loved it and were completely immersed as if they were there. They both commented at the end that they had learned a lot and felt confident about what they had learned."

"'Creating meaningful change' was one of many inspiring messages embraced by our student leaders at the YLAA Conference in 2022. Dynamic yet humble, the speakers this year demonstrated that one person really can make a difference in this world, and that age is no barrier to achieving the extraordinary. This conference enabled our students to ignite their passion for leadership and was an outstanding reminder that opportunities abound and it is up to them to make the most of what is in front of them. I cannot wait to involve my student leaders in future conferences and encourage all schools to invest in their leaders by providing them with the opportunity to attend."

The incredible lineup of speakers, guests and facilitators this national tour saw combined with the effort of students and teachers to attend both virtually and in person saw an impact being felt around the country of more young people stepping up as empowered, educated and equipped leaders in our communities.

I am truly excited about the future.

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2023 Conferences

👋  We want to hear from you!

We are fiercely planning our 2023 events for all 8 states and territories of Australia in Term 1 next year. We would love to hear any ideas you have for our conferences to make them more impactful, relevant, educational or simply more fun. Let us know here.

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