NIYLA youth leadership forum applications now open

The National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA) is giving high school students the chance to explore their leadership skills at a series of forums during Youth Week this April.

NIYLA director Benson Saulo said the Stand Strong, Stand Together Leadership Forums will engage more than 200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Years 10, 11 and 12, in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and Brisbane.

“The forums will have a really strong focus on personal development, looking at what skills and attributes our young people already have, how we further enhance that, but also how we start discussing and developing leadership skills within the young people,” Benson said.

NIYLA is an initiative of the Foundation for Young Australians, which is supported by the Australian Government. It was established in early 2012 to provide a network for young Indigenous leaders across Australia.

A young Indigenous leader himself, Benson was appointed as NIYLA director following his role as Australian youth representative for the United Nations in 2011.

“Over the last year we’ve been able to develop and build NIYLA and start implementing some of our programs,” Benson said.

“Our first forums, the Stand Strong, Stand Together leadership forums are going to be a great opportunity. They’re shaping up really well, and we’re all about inspiring young Indigenous people to make positive change.”

Students interested in attending the forums need to apply online, as spaces are limited.

“We’re looking for a young person that’s really curious about their community, aware of some of the issues that are being faced in their community, but also starting to think about some ways that they as a young person could actually play a positive role in their community,” Benson said.

“We’re looking for young people who are passionate about creating change, that are passionate about becoming leaders or further developing their leadership skills, and looking to engage with NIYLA to take that next step in their leadership journey.”