It was based on our old Leadership Camp format but designed to let older alumni come back, engage with us, and continue their personal growth. The response was great, with several experienced alumni joining as coaches and participants. Our focus on Peer-to-Peer learning shone through, with our Leadership Program Manager, Ella Jacobsen, and three alumni volunteer coaches—Dirk, Angelina, and Bella—planning and running the Summit alongside our Rural Engagement Coordinators.

Over four days, young people aged 18-30 enjoyed hearing from motivational speakers and worked on small group projects tackling big issues. They learned about getting support for projects, setting goals, and handling tough workplace conversations. To help them see the bigger picture, workshops were presented by our partners: Parliament Victoria, Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship, and YacVic Rural.

The Summit achieved its aims to enhance participants’ community contributions, foster peer connections, build communication and leadership skills, and raise awareness of opportunities for rural young Victorians. Participants also learned about future Youthrive opportunities, including volunteer roles, upskilling events, and alumni gatherings.

Ella Jacobsen, our Program Manager for the event, shared, “From my perspective, it meant I could grow my skills in event management, facilitation, and my own leadership skills.”

Participant Jacob added, “The workshops were super helpful and valuable. Having guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds and expertise was insightful and catered to all of us.”