• Examining the impact of fragmented service delivery on young people seeking housing and support
• Developing integrated service models that align housing, employment, mental health and wraparound services
• Implement strategies for fostering multi-agency collaboration to improve youth housing outcomes

• Tackling the critical lack of housing options for young people, scarcity of public housing, high competition and costs in private rentals and the limitations of shared housing
• Breaking barriers with innovative and coordinated sector responses to expand youth housing supply and extend stability in interim housing placements
• Investing in proven pathways that successfully transition young people into safe, stable and long-term housing ensuring lasting impact

• Educating employers to acknowledge the complex barriers youth are facing and the lack of positive supports and role models
• How to design structured recruitment, onboarding and mentorship for youth tailored to their advantage
• Leveraging community services and support networks to ensure support is accessed to achieve the best outcomes for both young people and employers

Martina Joy Pearce

Founder and Director

Our Commune

A dynamic, audience-driven session where participants get the chance to ask questions, share insights, or respond to discussion points. Each person “passes the mic” to the next, creating a fast-paced, inclusive conversation that encourages a range of perspectives. No prior preparation required, just bring your ideas and curiosity!

• How to use research partnerships to support community led action
• Developing strategies to incorporate deep listening to establish a path for action
• Building a movement for change to ensure young people thrive

• Examining future job market trends and in-demand skills for young workers
• Equipping young people with insights and skills to enter and thrive in high-growth sectors
• Fostering industry partnerships that create sustainable employment opportunities

Tom Larter

Chief Executive Officer

WithYouWithMe

• Exploring real-world stories of teenage parenthood and how lived experience can inspire and guide positive change
• Understanding the impacts of mental health, alcohol and drugs on young people and how to build stronger support networks
• Discovering innovative ways of thinking and working outside the box to create meaningful education and employment pathways

A dynamic, audience-driven session where participants get the chance to ask questions, share insights, or respond to discussion points. Each person “passes the mic” to the next, creating a fast-paced, inclusive conversation that encourages a range of perspectives. No prior preparation required, just bring your ideas and curiosity!

• Overcoming the barriers to treatment for young people with co-occurring mental health and AOD issues
• What are the current evidence-based treatments for young people and parents?

• Developing innovative and trauma-informed alternative models that support the needs of young people with complex justice backgrounds
• Exploring the link between disengagement from traditional schooling and offending behaviours and how early intervention can disrupt that cycle
• Implementing practical strategies for delivering meaningful learning opportunities that empower serious offenders and at-risk youth to reconnect with education and community

• Examining the growing impact of vaping as emerging challenges in youth substance use
• Analysing policy and education-based approaches to reduce the appeal and accessibility of these substances
• Empowering young people with knowledge and skills to resist peer pressure and make informed choices

Karen Robertson

Head of Education and Impact

LifeEd

• Developing creative methods for engagement to empower disengaged young people
• Building strong relationships in communities by valuing reciprocity and promoting long-term sustainability
• Placing Indigenous young people’s voices, experiences and solutions at the heart of decision-making and program design
• Creating space for inter-generational dialogue and storytelling to honour cultural knowledge, strengthen identity and guide future generations