Over the last few weeks, 11 students have participated in the Future Caretakers Project. Year 10 student representatives from three local schools - Concordia, Urrbrae and Glenunga - came together for two half-days to learn about democracy and discuss how young people can have a voice and be empowered, active citizens.

This work is part of an event series funded by the SA Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, and was delivered by the City of Unley. The two days sought to explore ways for young people to provide their thoughts on big global issues and refine a priority list to share with local Ministers, Unley City Council and at a broader public forum. DemocracyCo facilitated both sessions and provided support for students to explore the following questions:

• What could be done to help your voice be heard and enable you to be an active citizen in our democracy?
• What can you do and what could government do?

We used a variety of techniques to develop and critically assess a range of ideas, refining them with expert advice and developing a final list of recommendations.

We were all shocked and saddened when we discovered that in 2016, 50% of the world’s populations were living in democracies, now less than 1/3 of the world does! Congratulations to all the students who participated – they were highly engaged, motivated, open to hearing and learning and respectful of others. They left the experience understanding the importance of making your voice count, and the deep responsibility that comes with being caretakers of our precious democracy in the future.

Well done to our Year 10 students: Henry, Sherry, Annabel, Ethan, Eamonn, Finlay, Cate, Genevieve, Laura, Tom and Caitlin.

Emma Rieger
Enrichment and Extended Learning