Gold Coast Junior Council

Every two months, like-minded Year 10 and 11 students from 125 different state and private high schools from across the Gold Coast meet to form the Gold Coast Junior Council. The Gold Coast Junior Council is a two-year student leadership and civic program which provides opportunities for students to develop communication, public speaking and leadership skills while being involved in the local community.

Year 11 students Georgina Powell and Jack Luke-Paredi, and Year 10 students Hannah Kennedy and I have been fortunate enough to be involved as members of the 2019 Junior Council. So far this year, we have had two council meetings at the City of Gold Coast Council Chambers and both have already provided us with an incredible experience.

The Junior Council brings together students from all over the city and provides us with the motivation and opportunity to use our voice to get involved and make a difference as members of the Gold Coast community. With each meeting filled with discussions and team activities and even dancing to the bizarre but hilarious ‘banana song’ and eating (insanely delicious) cookies for lunch, the Junior Council seems to never be uneventful.

For me, a highlight has been being able to meet and interact with so many new and amazing people. I was slightly stunned by the massive number of students who were seated in the room at the start of the first meet, but everyone was quick to get friendly and had fostered such an inviting and encouraging environment which was nothing but fun to be a part of.

The Gold Coast Junior Council so far has been such an awesome opportunity that has left me excited to getting more involved and getting to know more people at our next meet!