Are you a young person aged 14-24 years impacted by the NSW drought? UNICEF Australia with the support of the NSW government invites you to apply for the first NSW Youth Summit on Living with Drought.

About the Summit

At the Summit, children and young people will come together with decision-makers and one another to discuss the challenges they face living with drought in NSW and how responses can be improved. The Summit will explore the ways decision-makers can best support children and young people to build resilience and become better prepared for ongoing and future drought.

The Summit also presents an opportunity for young people living with drought to have a break from the land, work with their peers who are going through similar struggles, and have an opportunity to connect, engage and reflect, surrounded by beautiful Lake Macquarie.

What will the Summit achieve?

The Summit will provide an opportunity for children and young people living with drought to identify actions that are needed to more effectively support you, your families and communities. It will:

• Connect young people from across NSW with their peers to create a support network based on shared experiences of the challenges of living with drought.
• Develop a shared understanding of the impact of drought on young people, the current support available (what works, what hasn’t worked), and the key gaps that need to be addressed.
• Provide a forum for meaningful, action-oriented discussion between young people, policy-makers and service providers about how to more effectively support young people and children experiencing drought.
• Strengthen confidence in advocacy, analysis, collaboration and leadership among young people attending the Summit.
• Result in a concluding, public report from UNICEF Australia, which will work with the NSW Government to implement policy recommendations.

Cost - All venue and meal costs will be covered, and UNICEF Australia will arrange transportation from several towns throughout regional NSW to the summit. 

Who are they looking for?

This opportunity is for young people aged 14-24 years, who are impacted by drought in NSW, Australia. We are looking for applicants from diverse backgrounds, who bring personal experiences to the conversation. If you fit these two categories, you can apply! We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people living with disability and young people from newly arrived or migrant backgrounds.

Visit for more details. Applications close Friday 30th August 2019.