Hey all! Shraddha here from the Youth Advisory Board!

I have been following along the LeaderUP journey, and what I am seeing is incredibly exciting! Week 7 came and went so quickly. An important aspect of starting, building, and launching our project ideas is ensuring other people know about them. Communication is vital, and finding an engaging marketing strategy to build awareness and momentum is a key step in bringing an idea to life.

For Week 7, we are spotlighting the incredible Xavier Catholic College in Victoria, where students developed a marketing strategy for their project. Their approach included an initial launch at weekly House assemblies, where a demonstration design was shared to inspire and engage both students and staff. They then introduced a House-based competition, complete with prizes, to encourage participation in the design process. Student Leaders have been visiting House groups to build excitement and encourage involvement. To determine the winning submission, Houses will vote before the final design is presented to the School Leadership Team. This marketing strategy consists of high frequency announcements within each House and adds an element of healthy competition to encourage students to participate in the design phase. We love a co-design moment!

The YLAA National Tour taught many young people the skills they need to develop personally as leaders and, more broadly, to work with others to create change. I was privileged to be a student guest speaker on the Q&A panel at the Brisbane Secondary Conference, where I shared what I have learned throughout my leadership journey and how important it is to actively seek opportunities for growth. It was wonderful to see students engaging with these ideas, and even more exciting to see them putting them into action. One strategy we are seeing pop up time and time again, especially during Week 7, is the Find, Feed, Future strategy from our Primary event. This strategy is being used by many schools throughout the LeaderUP process. The first step is to find ways for people to share their thoughts and ideas. Then, feed the excitement by capturing attention and building engagement. Finally, think about the future by creating ways to sustain momentum and keep people involved long-term.

Schools have found so many creative ways to do this. Some have designed posters and used school websites to spread the word. Others have run trivia competitions with prizes to build excitement. Some schools have even had Student Leaders dress up as superheroes and create Instagram videos to promote their projects. How cool is that?!

There are countless ways to communicate an idea and capture people's attention. Marketing is where an idea starts to come alive, builds momentum, and invites others to be part of the journey. This is where the magic of an idea truly begins!

Week 10 is approaching, and we can't wait to see all the submissions and announce the winner!