Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic)

The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc. (YACVic) is the peak body and leading policy advocate on young people's issues in Victoria. We are an independent, non-government organisation. Our vision is for a Victorian community that values and provides opportunity, participation, justice and equity for all young people.

At YACVic we listen to the needs of young people and the organisations that provide direct services for young people, and we provide advice to the government and other institutions about these needs. We are a membership-driven organisation, and we encourage anyone with an interest in youth issues to join—especially young people.

We develop policy through consultation with our members, and there are lots of opportunities to take part in this process and to have your say on issues affecting young people in Victoria. We regularly hold policy forums for young people and for workers in the sector to find out your views and to advocate for change.

YACVic also supports the youth sector more broadly, through undertaking research, developing resources, and sharing information.

We approach our work from a youth participation approach, and support young people to be involved in, and take a lead, in our organisation and policy development.

There are a whole range of opportunities for young people, depending on what level of involvement you want!

• Join YACVic as a member. It costs only $2 a year. You’ll keep up to date with what’s happening in the youth sector in Victoria, receive copies of all our publications, and you’ll get the chance to become more involved in YACVic.
• Join our Youth Reference Group. You will get to meet regularly with a bunch of passionate young people, provide advice to YACVic, the government, and other community organisations about the issues that affect young people in Victoria, and get support to develop projects to take further action.
• Contact us to sign up for our free fortnightly email bulletin, YACVic Announce, to find out about the latest news and events for young people and the youth sector in Victoria.
• Come along to any of our events or policy forums to have your say on the hot topics. Past forums have focused on issues including human rights, young driver safety, young people on the urban fringe, and young people and public space.
• Each year we have opportunities for young people in our key governance structures, so we’d love you to nominate for our Board of Governance or to become our Young Media Spokesperson.

YACVic supports young people’s involvement in making decisions about the areas that affect their lives. So if you live in Victoria, get in touch!