Youth Leadership Festival August 2023

By the start of Day two, the energy at the Youth Leadership Festival was palpable. The morning commenced with energising get-to-know-you games before our young leaders heard from motivational speaker Kath Koschel. Kath’s impactful keynote about overcoming life-changing events and discovering the power of kindness produced tears and was undeniably a festival highlight.

“Kath’s keynote was by far the most impactful and thought provoking I have ever seen. It was the perfect mix of emotion, action and personal experience, and I loved how she acknowledged our experiences and how that made us unique from other audiences.” 

After morning tea, everyone dived into workshops, with Mark Collard’s ‘Facilitation Skills’ workshop and YARN’s ‘How to Acknowledge Country’ really resonating with our young leaders.

“The YARN created such a warm and welcoming environment for us to learn. That was my first time participating in a cultural activity of that kind and learning to dance. I really loved the opportunity.”

Some free time allowed everyone to head out and use the Chatime vouchers they received. A big thank you to Chatime for providing our young people with the perfect refreshment while they digested everything they learnt.

The festivities continued into the evening with a pizza and pyjama party.A huge thanks to The Oodie for generously donating 85 Oodies, keeping Canteen's young leaders warm and cozy for Saturday's movie night. 

Day 3 commenced with another spirited morning led by Nate and Jupiter. The Annual General Meeting offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Canteen's operations, leaving a lasting impression on our young leaders.

“As it was my first leadership festival I found it really interesting to attend an AGM, I didn't really have any idea of what goes on behind the scenes at Canteen. I found it really interesting to see how the financial side of things worked and Maddy did an amazing job speaking.”

As the festival drew to a close, farewells were exchanged, both to new and old friends. Excitement lingered in the air, with everyone eagerly anticipating the next opportunity to reunite after a weekend filled with shared memories, learning, laughter and leadership.