Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic)

Who we are

Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) is the peak body and leading policy advocate for young people and the youth sector in Victoria.

Our vision is that the rights of young people in Victoria are respected, and they are active, visible and valued in their communities. Our mission is to propel action that inspires positive change for young people and the youth sector. To do this we:

• Elevate voices of young people and the youth sector to institutions of power
• Promote solutions by identifying and recommending policy and advocacy ideas on issues that affect young people
• Build capacity through resourcing and promoting high-quality youth work, participation and leadership
• Nurture connections by convening groups and enabling platforms for co-ordination, support and collaboration
• Advance thinking by partnering on research and consultations on emerging issues for young people

YACVic is an independent, for-purpose organisation with core funding from the Victorian Government’s Office for Youth. We pursue social justice by maintaining a focus on those young people in our community who face disadvantage or marginalisation.

YACVic’s work is guided by our strategic plan, our Constitution and the Code of Ethical Practice for the Victorian Youth Sector. This means that the recognition of young people's human rights underpin everything we do. We promote active participation of young people in all aspects of decision making and community life, as well as directly within our organisation through our youth participation model.

We provide additional targeted advocacy and services through our key services, YACVic Rural and the Youth Disability Advocacy Service.

YACVic Rural
YACVic Rural advocates for young people and youth professionals in rural and regional Victoria, focusing on unique challenges in areas like the Great South Coast and Southern Mallee. We work to expand our reach and achieve the best outcomes for rural youth across the state.

Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)
YDAS is Victoria’s only advocacy service dedicated to supporting young people with disability (ages 12–25) to achieve their human rights. We offer free individual advocacy and engage in systemic work to improve policies affecting young people with disability.

What we do

YACVic offers a range of training and support as part of our social enterprise work. The training and support you book directly supports us to expand and develop the capacity and skills of young people across Victoria.

In addition to the training sessions for young people and workers supporting young people (which you can find out below), YACVic offers in-depth and longer-term fee-for-service support based on your needs which can include:

• Framework, policy and strategy design: we can walk through this process with you and support you to create the documents you need to embed youth participation in your organisation
• Consultations: we can design, host and deliver peer-led youth consults
• Co-design: we can support you to work alongside young people on designing and delivering solutions for your key challenges and projects
• Recruitment: we can connect you with young people from around the state to get involved in your initiatives. We will support both you and the young participants through the process.

For more information and to discuss how we can support you to work with young people please get in touch with Sam Champion, Participation & Development Coordinator on 0438 072 200 or at schampion@yacvic.org.au