Youth Week WA 2024

Youth Week is WA’s largest annual celebration of young people (10-25 years), providing young people with the opportunity to express their ideas, raise important issues, make decisions, create entertainment and celebrate young people’s contribution to the community.
Last updated:

Youth Week WA 2024 ran from 5 – 12 April.

The Department of Communities is responsible for the oversight overall coordination and promotion of Youth Week WA across more than 100 events. To recognise and celebrate young people aged 10-25 years we:

  • partner with Propel Youth Arts WA to hold the annual KickstART Festival
  • ensure that young people are central to the week’s planning and development of events through a Young People’s Planning Committee
  • deliver an annual grants program for Youth Week WA projects and activities
  • appoint Youth Week WA Ambassadors (Youth Ambassadors) to represent young people across the State.

Youth Week WA events and activities are free, inclusive, accessible and safe for all young people.

What is Youth Week WA

The State Government recognises the enormous contribution that young people make to social, cultural and economic life in Western Australia. Youth Week WA is an opportunity to recognise these valued contributions and provide opportunities for young people to connect across the State.

Youth Week WA aims to:

  • provide young people with opportunities to express ideas, raise important issues, make decisions and showcase their talents and contributions
  • give the wider community an opportunity to listen to young people and celebrate their positive contributions; and
  • raise awareness about issues of concern to young people.

The 2024 theme was Head, Body, Heart. The theme guided the intention of Youth Week WA 2024 events and activities and is a reminder to check in with your head, body and heart, as well as extending that care to others.

2024 Projects

For 2024, the Ambassadors were involved in several crucial aspects in the planning, promotion and delivery of Youth Week WA including assessing grant applications, supporting the Young People’s Planning Committee, undertaking media opportunities, attending key events, and delivering the Ambassador project, Catalyst (PDF, 103MB), which is an online publication that captures the ideas and views of young people throughout the State.

Youth Week WA 2024 Ambassadors

The 2024 Youth Week WA Ambassadors represented young people in Western Australia by:

  • Ensuring young voices were heard and embedded in all things Youth Week WA, from start to finish.
  • Supporting Propel Youth Arts WA as part of the Young People’s Planning Committee, offering expert advice in the planning of KickstART Festival.
  • In a first for Youth Week WA, leading the delivery of a project sponsored by the Department of Communities, called Catalyst, which became available at the conclusion of Youth Week. This online publication shares the stories, work and perspectives of young creatives, leaders and organisations.
  • Being spokespeople for Youth Week WA and promoting the event through social media, public engagement and in their communities.

Fatima Merchant

Head and shoulders photo of a young women with trees and grass in the background

Fatima Merchant is 20 years old and undertaking a Bachelor of Arts while interning at UWA’s Public Policy Institute.

Fatima is a member of the Amnesty International Australia Youth Advisory Group, UN Youth Australia and is a Facilitator at the WA Debating League.

Fatima won the 2021 WA Lions Youth of the Year for public speaking; the 2021 Mercie Whellan Women+Wellbeing Youth Category and she also received the 2021 Commissioner for Children and Young People Participate Award.

Nathida Chalermsuk

An outdoors head and shoulders photo of a young smiling women

Nathida Chalermsuk is 22 years old and studying a Bachelor of Psychology while working as a disability support worker.

Nathida was Vice President of Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales at Curtin University where she launched a new initiative, Youth United, a program which facilitates cross-cultural understanding amongst young people in Australia. 

Samuel Thomas

Head and shoulders photo of a male Youth Ambassador named Samuel

Samuel Thomas is 20 years old and established Sam’s Spares a not for profit that saves unwanted e-waste from landfill.

Sam repairs and refurbishes computers, laptops, mobile phones, gaming systems and other electronics and gifts them to community members in need.

Sam also works as a support worker and he strives to overthrow the stigmas and limitations put upon his Neurodivergent community.

He was the winner of the 2023 Young Volunteer of the Year award. 

Izabella Brandis

Head and shoulders photo of a female Youth Ambassador named Izabella

Izabella is 19 years old and lives in Kulin. She is the Community Development Officer at the Shire of Kulin, the Vice President of the Kulin Netball Club, a Coordinator of the Kulin Bush Races Committee, and a member of the Cultivating Kulin Committee. 

Izabella was successful in securing a Youth Week WA 2023 grant that enabled her to hold workshops for young people in the community where they were invited to come along and create artwork expressing ‘What makes Kulin special to you?’

Announcements

See also

Youth Week WA main page

Was this page useful?