Zane LeBlond & Shannon Swart on authentic youth-led participation in the City of Marion

In this week’s episode, Josh chats with Shannon and Zane from City of Marion’s Youth Collective Committee who were the 2023 winners of the Spirit Super Connecting Communities Award at the 7News Young Achiever Awards in South Australia. City of Marion’s Youth Collective Committee, or YCC, is group of young people selected to represent the views and values of young people in the City of Marion. They aim to work with Council on issues, topics and concerns that are important to the young people in their local Council area. Their vision is to work on issues such as safety and security, mental health, the environment, arts and music, education and technology. They also work to provide a unique perspective on Council issues, whilst also gaining important skills, learning about local government and youth specific issues. Since beginning in 2019, the YCC have held an Esports tournament, Battle of the Bands, planting of a native garden, a music event at the Capella Skate Park opening and more. Shannon Swart, the youth worker facilitating the program was 22 when the YCC began and has been with the program since the beginning. Zane LeBlond is the current chairperson of the YCC for 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.