At Yeronga State High, student voice is not only heard—it’s the spark that ignites change. The school is letting students shape their learning environment, with Student Summit initiatives earning them the
2025 Student Voice Impact Award.
They held their first Student Summit in 2020 in response to student advocacy on social issues. What began as a single conversation has grown into a transformative initiative, proving that when young people are empowered to lead, remarkable things happen.
'We sat down as a leadership group and recognised this was a really good way of getting on the front foot of student issues,' says Holly, Head of Department and Philosophy teacher.
'It was a moment of realisation for us that we had the power to be proactive in getting student perspectives. Over the years since then, we’ve refined our process.'
This proactive approach turned a spark into a system, giving students the platform to voice concerns and drive solutions. From that first summit, a clear process emerged which puts students at the heart of every step—a change that has seen suspensions reduced by 45% over the last 3 years.
The process, from ideas to action
Student Summits at Yeronga State High are more than meetings, they’re a dynamic process where students take the lead in shaping their school.
The process begins with students pinpointing what matters most to them. Whether it’s school uniforms, wellbeing, or cultural inclusion, they gather as many perspectives as they can. Open discussions and surveys ensure all voices are heard, like the one conducted by student leaders following the School Rules Summit, which reached over 400 students.
'We come together as a group to talk about an issue within our school. Before we make action plans, we meet to break down exactly what the issue is, who it affects and why it’s affecting them,' says Shirley, year 12 School Captain.
These aren’t your average conversations though, students dive deep with tools like root cause analysis and fishbone diagrams to uncover why issues exist. This analytical stage sharpens their critical thinking, as they explore how challenges affect their peers and the school community.
The heart of the Student Summit lies in ideation. Students brainstorm solutions through activities like rapid idea generation and gallery walks, where they vote on the best ideas with dot stickers.
Finally, students turn ideas into action. They draft recommendations, present them to school leadership, and track progress. Each change becomes a point of pride for the students that made it happen.
'It’s really amazing to be able to see that with our voices, we’ve made an impact,' says Shirley.
'To know we changed something, or we made these great things happen, or helped people appreciate and love their culture and identity. It has made me really happy to be part of it.'
The effect of the summits can be seen around the school, in its policies, and even reflected in school statistics:
- Following the School Rules Summit, they undertook a complete redesign of school rules and creation of Universal Expectations which embed respect, empathy and effort around the school.
- 94.6% of students have since agreed that school expectations and rules are clear in the recent School Opinion Survey.
- The Uniform Summit led to a policy change allowing colourful hair and a nose stud, small changes with a big impact on student expression.
- The annual Women’s Summit saw the establishment of Horizon Women’s Hub, which inspires empowerment while providing a safe space to engage on social issues.
This resounding success has students and staff motivated to keep up the momentum. As new ideas emerge, they look towards improving future summits and other student-led initiatives.
The future of student voice
Yeronga State High has started encouraging confident future voices by inviting alumni to speak and inspire new leaders, along with initiatives like their Year 7 Summit proposing ways to support young students.
'I absolutely think others should get involved. If you have a voice and you’ve got the willpower to act on it, you should definitely join and say your mind,' says Shirley.
Beyond the school, expert knowledge will find its way to students, as community partners like UniSQ work alongside them to develop student-led projects and build leadership experience.
Yeronga State High students are poised to keep sparking change, thanks to a school community that listened.
'Let the kids lead. Invite everybody, don’t try to control the narrative and never try to predict what the outcome is going to be,' says Holly.
'I don’t ever know what the kids are going to come up with… And actually, that’s the beauty of it.'