This year’s finalists demonstrate the many creative and meaningful ways children’s rights can be embedded into learning, relationships and communities. By creating inclusive spaces where children are informed, listened to and empowered to participate, they are helping nurture a generation of children who know their rights, respect the rights of others and feel confident using their voices.
Through these meaningful relationships, Joyce helps children exercise their rights to participate, communicate and belong, while challenging assumptions about disability and showing how schools can become places where every generation is valued and has something to contribute.
Joyce champions children’s rights by creating inclusive opportunities for every child to participate, communicate and experience a genuine sense of belonging. Her work ensures children with disability are valued, included and recognised for the contribution they make to their communities.
Kane Munt is a proud Torres Strait Islander young leader and passionate children’s rights advocate who uses his lived experience, cultural leadership and involvement in Groundswell to ensure young people’s voices influence the systems affecting their lives.
By sharing his journey through mentoring, sport and podcasting, Kane strengthens cultural pride and inspires other First Nations young people to stay engaged in education, make positive choices and believe in their ability to shape their own future.
Kane champions children’s rights by ensuring young people are heard, respected and empowered to participate in decisions that shape their lives and futures. His work also celebrates the importance of culture, identity and belonging in enabling young people to feel strong, connected and confident.
Jess Stone is Vice-Chair of NAPCAN’s National Youth Speak Out advisory council and a children’s rights advocate working across child protection, online safety, research and policy to ensure young people help shape the systems designed to protect them.
Selected as one of only 12 young people globally for the inaugural United Nations Youth4Rights advisory group, Jess champions meaningful youth participation and rights-based responses to online exploitation and abuse.
Jess champions children’s rights by ensuring young people are meaningfully heard and involved in shaping the policies, research and systems designed to protect them. Her advocacy places young people’s voices at the centre of creating safer, more rights-respecting responses to harm.
A heartfelt thank you to Goodstart Early Learning for their valued support. Their commitment to creating safe, inclusive and engaging learning environments helps children build confidence, develop a love of learning and reach their individual potential.