Youth Voices for Climate Justice

Event Details

Join us for a powerful evening centering the voices, experiences and leadership of young people in the climate justice movement. This event is a unique opportunity to hear from a diverse panel of inspiring young people who are taking action on the climate crisis while navigating its inequitable impacts.

Young people around the world are leading the charge for climate justice. They are bringing fresh ideas, intersectional insights and a deep sense of urgency to the climate movement. Our panel will share their personal stories of challenge and hope, the reasons they became active, and their vision for a more just and sustainable future.

The evening will begin with a networking moment to connect with others in the community, followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion facilitated by Eve Mayes, Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University focusing much of her work in the area of Climate Justice.

This is an intergenerational event. We encourage people of all ages to come along, listen deeply, and reflect on how youth-led perspectives can be integrated into climate action at every level.

This is a free event but registrations are essential.

Bio of Panelists

Odi Evans

Odi Evans is a queer and non-binary artist, activist and grassroots organiser currently based in Bendigo, Djaara Country. Studying a Bachelor of Outdoor and Sustainability Education at La Trobe University, they are an emerging environmental educator dedicated to empowering young people develop their ecological literacy and create meaningful change in their communities. During Odi’s time as a student at Bellarine Secondary College they founded Gang Green, a student-led environmental justice collective, mobilised the student body to take action for Schools Strike for Climate, co-facilitated Bellarine Community Health’s Youth Guerrilla Garden program and worked as a regenerative farmhand at Farm My School.

Lauren Dillon

First and foremost, Lauren Dillon is a young climate advocate who joined the fight against a proposed gas terminal in her local community when she was 16. Since then, she has become a committed local organiser within Geelong Renewables Not Gas in an attempt to address ongoing environmental challenges. Outside of this, she is studying environmental science and leadership at Monash University and working within the renewable energy sector to assist with compliance and sustainability concerns. Lauren believes strongly in the power of community and ensuring that climate justice occurs during Australia’s journey to net zero. 

MC Dr Eve Mayes

Dr Eve Mayes is a Senior Lecturer (Pedagogy and Curriculum) and Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University. Her work is concerned with school students’ participation in climate justice action/ advocacy/ activism, as well as with experiences of education in a climate-changing world. Eve is a former English and English as an Additional Language secondary school teacher; she worked for ten years as a teacher in comprehensive public secondary schools in NSW. See current project website: https://strikingvoices.deakin.edu.au/ Instagram: @striking_voices. Her latest publication is: Fossil fuel gift economies as petro-pedagogies in public schools | The Australian Educational Researcher (co-authored with A/Prof Emma Rowe).

More panellists to be announced.