The Australian Youth Foundation (AYF) and The Queen's Trust (1977-2000) joined forces in 2000 to form the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). This organization has been working with individuals, organizations, and schools to provide support and resources to young people ever since. The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) is the main national body for young people and the youth sector in Australia. Established in 2002, AYAC is governed by a board of directors that includes both young people and youth workers.
Scouts Australia is the country's largest youth movement, offering a wide range of activities to those aged 6-25. Through Scouts Australia, members can learn practical skills, participate in community events, and practice sports. The Youth Affairs Coordination Council (YACA) was created in 1987 to coordinate the non-governmental sector on youth issues. The YACA records include minutes from meetings of the Management Committee and Committee on Policy and Program Priorities, documents related to the organization's structure, state councils on youth affairs, finance, relations with government departments and youth organizations, YACA conferences, policies and services for youth, and issues related to housing, education, employment, the environment, and health. The Youth Services Inventory System (YSIS) was developed to provide policy makers and planners with information on the nature and distribution of services for young people.
This system also helps streamline the production of regional or specialized directories of youth services. The National Youth Council of Australia (NYCA) was established in 1980 as a forum for young people to discuss social issues. NYCA activities included organizing a series of Australian youth assemblies and youth forums, conducting an extensive survey for the Australian Department of Tourism and Recreation on recreational priorities of young people (the Youth Say Project), and publishing its magazine Way Out for school leavers. In 1997, three additional forums were created: the National Forum of State Councils on Youth Affairs (NFSYAC), the Conference of Australian Youth Organizations (CAYO), and the National Youth Workers' Forum (NWWYF).
The Asian Youth Council (AYC) was also formed as a voluntary association of the Asian National Youth Work Coordination Committee. The Commonwealth Office of Youth Affairs launched the Youth Services Documentation Project (SERDOC) in 1987. This project included a “SERDOC documentation booklet” sent to participating organizations as well as documents that detailed the history, philosophy, structure, level of youth participation, and other characteristics of many youth organizations. In 1998, the Minister for Youth Affairs announced that the Australian Government would not renew its contract with AYPAC but would instead fund the National Youth Roundtable as a way to engage young people. The minutes from NYCA meetings include minutes from meetings of the Council, Executive Committee, Management Group, documents from conferences attended by NYCA staff, thematic files, reports from NYCA and others, records related to AYC, International Year of Women 1975, National Youth Advisory Group. Young people have been at the forefront of social change in Australia for many years. From Scouts Australia to The Queen's Trust to AYAC and beyond - there are countless organizations dedicated to providing support and resources to young Australians.
These organizations have been instrumental in helping shape policy decisions related to housing, education, employment, health care, environmental protection and more. The Commonwealth Office of Youth Affairs launched SERDOC in 1987 as a way to document services available for young people across Australia. This project included a “SERDOC documentation booklet” sent out to participating organizations as well as documents detailing the history, philosophy, structure and level of youth participation within each organization. In 1997 three additional forums were created: NFSYAC (National Forum of State Councils on Youth Affairs), CAYO (Conference of Australian Youth Organizations) and NWWYF (National Youth Workers' Forum).
The Asian Youth Council was also formed as a voluntary association of Asian National Youth Work Coordination Committee. The National Youth Roundtable was funded by the Australian Government in 1998 as a way to engage young people in policy decisions. Minutes from NYCA meetings include minutes from meetings of the Council, Executive Committee and Management Group as well as documents from conferences attended by NYCA staff. Today there are countless organizations dedicated to providing support and resources to young Australians.
These organizations have been instrumental in helping shape policy decisions related to housing, education, employment, health care, environmental protection and more - making sure that young people have a voice in their own future.
