2022 Youth Round Table members announced

Advocates for climate, gender diversity, mental health and disabilities will join students, sportspeople and members of the multicultural community on the 2022 Youth Round Table.

Announced today, the 18 members will provide advice to the NT Government and inform the development of policies, programs and services. They will also share information that enables the Government to engage with issues of importance to young Territorians.

Representing Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Palmerston and

Darwin; the Youth Round Table members will each lead a community-based project throughout their 12-month term.

During the year, four in-person meetings will be held in Darwin in addition to six virtual sessions.

The first gathering, to be held in March, will feature team building activities, professional development workshops and consultation sessions on youth topics.

The 2022 Youth Round Table members are: 

• Connie-Anne Shaw, 23, Alice Springs;
• Isla Hooper, 19, Alice Springs;
• Jordon Humphreys, 16, Alice Springs;
• Paddy van der Geest-Hester, 15, Alice Springs
• Alexander Storey, 21, Darwin
• Alicia Kuroda-Metin, 16, Darwin
• Hajrah Kamran, 18, Darwin
• Kyle Bambra, 20, Darwin
• Shanae Kuo, 22, Darwin
• Upani Muthumala, 16, Darwin
• Akeelah Cowen, 23, Katherine
• Tayloraye Bailey, 21, Katherine
• Cecilia Afeaki, 17, Nhulunbuy
• Michael Gadingura Yunupingu, 23, Nhulunbuy
• Jahdai Vigona, 20, Palmerston & Rural
• Kyle Lachlan, 22, Palmerston & Rural
• Azra Zendelji, 25, Tennant Creek
• Boyd Cook, 17, Tennant Creek

Further Round Table information can be found at: tfhc.nt.gov.au/youth-round-table

Quotes attributable to Minister for Youth Lauren Moss:

“Young people have many ideas and experiences to share when it comes to shaping the future of the Northern Territory.

“For the past 25 years, the NT Youth Round Table has been an important avenue for some of our exceptional young Territorians to bring forward those ideas for Government to consider in its policy-making.

“18 exceptional young people have been chosen to sit on the 2022 Round Table, coming from right across our regions and representing the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Territory.

“I’m looking forward to coming together with them at their first meeting in March next year and working with them throughout 2022.”

Quotes attributable to Akeelah Cowen, Member 2022 NT Youth Round Table

“I want to be able to help young people become as successful as they possibly can in order to encourage and empower them to break bad generational cycles. I believe that joining the NT Youth Round Table will give me the opportunity to be the voice of the young people in Katherine who aren’t heard or who don’t know how to be heard, and the chance to help and connect with the community.”

Quotes attributable to Patrick Coleman, Member 2021 NT Youth Round Table

“I joined the Round Table to try meet new people, gain new leadership skills that I can take back to my community to make a bit of a difference. I learned a lot of things not only from the sessions we had but also from the other members, who were strangers to me at first but now I hold them in high regard.

To the next members if you're like me, you won't think much of it at first but when it's finished you'll wish you can do it all over again.”