A Child and Young People Friendly City
Monash Council is committed to being a Child and Young People Friendly City (CYPFC) and has endorsed the Victorian Charter for Child Friendly Cities and Communities.
As a result, we have put in place a number of strategies to ensure we view and interact with children as active citizens of Monash.
Junior Advisory Group
The Junior Advisory Group is a meeting between Grade 3 and 4 primary school students and Councillors that occurs twice a year.
The meeting is usually held at the Civic Centre in the Council chambers, where students can ask questions to the Councillors about the community they live in or go to school in. Students are selected by local schools.
Council will request that schools prepare up to 2 questions per group and submit the questions 2 weeks before the meeting so Councillors have time to prepare.
More information: Junior Advisory Group
Expressions of Interest for Junior Advisory Group are now open for 2025. Email childfriendly@monash.vic.gov.au to secure a spot for your Grade 3 and 4 students.
School visits
Monash Council is available to attend your primary school to present an education session on:
- The levels of Government
- Council's role in the community
- How to get involved with your Council.
Visits can also include a presentation on an area of Council your school is interested in, such as Monash Youth Services.
These sessions are useful for student representative groups, student voice initiatives, or any class interested in or learning about government.
Email childfriendly@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0459 868 952 to enquire about a school visit.
Volunteering opportunities for children
Children have told us that they want an opportunity to participate and support their community.
Whenever a child or young person-friendly opportunity becomes available, we will post it here.
Keep a look out on this page, visit our sustainability pages, as well as Monash Youth Services for more opportunities to make a difference in Monash.
You can also ask your school to email childfriendly@monash.vic.gov.au or call 0459 868 952 for further information.
Child Friendly Cities and Communities
As a member of the Child Friendly Cities and Communities Advisory Group, Monash Council supports organisations in their journey to become child-friendly. A framework has been developed as a guide.
Use the framework to gain insight into the potential activity involved in aligning your organisation with the Victorian Charter for Child Friendly Cities and Communities.
The central idea is that by following the suggested framework, children become active citizens of their community.
For more information, email childfriendly@monash.vic.gov.au, call 0459 868 952 or refer to the CFCC Advisory Group Contact list in the pack.
Framework pack – Child Friendly Cities and Communities(PDF, 3MB)
Victorian Charter
The Victorian Charter for Child Friendly Cities and Communities (Charter) has been developed specifically for local governments, organisations and individuals to take action. The Charter is a statement of the principles and actions that underpin the right to be considered child-friendly.
The Charter is consistent with state, national and international protocols and embraces rights that are embedded in the Convention of the Rights of a Child ( 1990), the Chiba Declaration for a Child Friendly Asia Pacific (2009), UNICEF’s Building Blocks for developing a Child Friendly City (2004) and the Victorian Human Rights and Responsibilities Charter (2006).
Recognising the need for increased participation by children and young people in decision-making forums and creating child-friendly environments, we support the following principles:
- Freedom for children to experience environments that consider their needs.
- Respect and dignity for children to express their individual opinions, participate in and contribute to decisions about their communities and their wellbeing.
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Equitable access to supportive environments and services for children regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or ability.
Indemnity
Please note the following may be required prior to the involvement of children with Council:
- Indemnity for all U18 participants from a teacher, parent, or guardian.
- Teachers, parents, and/or guardians may need to be present during the engagement with children.
Council ensures the following safeguards are in place:
Monash Student Space
From 2019-2023, we compiled a newsletter aimed at school-aged children living and studying in Monash. The content for each newsletter was selected and written by children, and most of the decisions regarding the look and feel of the bulletin were made by a committee of students that oversaw the publication of each newsletter.
Browse previous editions of Monash Student Space below.
2023
2022
2021
2020
More information