To find out more and to take our 10-minute survey click here or scan the QR code below:
Youth Conversations gives young people a voice in the conversations that affect them.
If you’re 12–19 and a secondary or vocational student in the Great South Coast or in the Colac Otway Shire, we want to hear from you.
We are conducting surveys and focus groups because we want to understand what really matters to you, the issues you’re facing, and how we can better support your need.
We are interested in your ideas about:
- your education and training – now and in the future
- your employment and future career pathways
- your connection to your community
- and your general wellbeing.
About the Program
Youth Conversations is Beyond the Bell’s region-wide youth research initiative, putting young people’s voices at the heart of community-led decision-making across the Great South Coast. As the largest youth-centred research project in the region, it seeks to understand what truly matters to young people, so that programs, services, and policies align with their needs, goals, and lived experiences.
Launched in 2020–2021, the first phase engaged over 700 young participants, producing a landmark report on youth education, wellbeing, aspirations, and the impact of COVID-19. The next phase expands this work, engaging around 1,500 youth survey participants and 200 focus group members across ten schools in six Local Government Areas.
This ongoing local youth research will offer deeper insight into youth mental health, education and employment pathways, and youth engagement. It will inform collective action to better support young people in the region.
Developed in collaboration with Deakin University’s REDI team, the project provides grounded, evidence-based insights to shape local policy and strengthen systems that support the future of young people across the Great South Coast.
What We Do
Youth-Led Design
This is a truly youth-led design process. All research questions, survey content, and focus group activities are in collaboration with the MAD Youth Crew, ensuring deep youth participation and that the project reflects what young people truly want to explore and share.
School and Sector Collaboration
Through strong secondary school partnerships, we work closely with schools to organise site visits, deliver surveys, and facilitate group interviews in a way that is both inclusive and accessible. This model supports genuine collaborative research across the education sector.
Data Collection and Analysis
Using best-practice youth data collection methods, Beyond the Bell and Deakin University gather and analyse both qualitative and quantitative insights, with a strong focus on the lived experience of young people in the Great South Coast region. This ensures the research is grounded, relevant, and reflective of real needs.
Report Development and Dissemination
A comprehensive regional youth report will be developed, delivering clear, evidence-based recommendations and practical youth research findings. This report will be shared with schools, community stakeholders, and other partners to inform future planning, support program development, and assist with funding for youth programs across the region.
Our Impact
Through this initiative, we aim to create lasting, measurable youth impact by:
- Producing a high-quality, longitudinal youth dataset that tracks the evolving needs, priorities, and lived experiences of young people over time
- Deepening our understanding of the local barriers to youth engagement and the key enablers of student engagement, youth wellbeing, and successful post-school transitions
- Building a strong evidence base to inform evidence-based youth programs, guide youth policy development, and drive collective youth advocacy
- Strengthening collaboration between schools, youth services, and local government, ensuring unified efforts to support young people
- Supporting informed, strategic youth planning through the use of locally relevant youth data that reflects the voices and realities of our region’s youth
