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We are excited to announce that on Friday 10 April, we will be hosting the 2026 Youth Summit!
This 2026 Youth Summit will be a one-day event amplifying the voices of young people. Each speaker will be given a six-minute time period to present their advocacy piece on stage to an audience of decision- and policy- makers. Key leaders in the sector will provide reflection speeches after each of the six speaker sessions.
There will be an opportunity to network with attendees, sector leads, the Commissioners and the young speakers during the morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea breaks.
Keep an eye out for when you can express your interest in attending the summit - opening February 2026.
How to apply
Applications are open now!
Applications close 23 January 2026.
To apply you must:
- be aged 25 years or under
- live in Queensland
- be available to attend the Youth Summit in person in Brisbane
You can nominate by submitting a:
- written application (200-500 words), or
- 2-3 minute video application.
In your nomination we want to hear about your current situation, where you live, your lived experience, and your ideas for positive change. Don’t worry, you don’t need a fully written speech just yet, a short outline is suitable to put forward your nomination.
You will receive an email confirmation once your nomination has been received.
Submit your application via the form below.
ARACY Nest Framework
Youth Summit speeches will be around 6 minutes each and categorised into speaker sessions under the ARACY Nest Wellbeing Framework. Speaker sessions are:
- Valued, loved and safe
- Healthy
- Participating
- Learning
- Material basics
- Identity and culture
All nominations will go through a judging process based on the potential impact of sharing your live experience and ideas for positive change across the listed wellbeing domains. Shortlisted nominees will be notified in early March.
Selected speakers will be offered fully funded online training with professional advocacy and public speaking coaches.
Feeling valued, loved and safe
- How does your family meet your needs? How could this be improved?
- What makes you feel safe with your family and community? How could this be improved?
Material basics to meet your needs
- Do you have access to the clothing, housing, and other living essentials to thrive? How could this be improved?
- How secure and stable is your housing? How could this be improved?
Healthy
- Is your physical and/or mental health good? How does this impact you and how could this be improved?
- Is the physical and/or mental health of your parents / carers and family good? How does this impact you and how could this be improved?
Engaged in education
- How much does your family engage in your learning? How could this be improved?
- Are young people succeeding at school? How could this be improved?
- What do you think about further education and training beyond school?
Participating
- What is your community like for children and young people?
- When, how and why should young people be involved in decision-making? Is this a successful practice in your community and if so / not, why?
- What do you think about children and young people contributing to and participating in your community?
Identity and culture
- What do you think about expressing your identity and culture? How does this impact you and how could it be improved?
- Do you feel safe and supported in expressing your identity and culture? How does this impact you and how could it be improved?
Contact us
If you have any questions or enquires, please contact us at youthsummit@qfcc.qld.gov.au.
Last updated
9 December 2025