Empowering Future Leaders at the Active Citizenship Convention

On Wednesday of week 5, Mr. Breen and 7 of our 10 students flew to Adelaide to attend the Active Citizenship Convention. The convention was announced by the Premier of South Australia, the Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, and the Minister for Education Training and Skills, the Hon Blair Boyer MP, in August 2024. It was part of South Australia’s nation-leading reforms in civics education, which aims to strengthen students’ understanding of, and trust and confidence in, our democratic system.

Whilst they attended, students were given the opportunity to develop their capacity to engage meaningfully with democracy, build trust and confidence in our systems and build the skills needed to be informed citizens.

The day was hosted by former AFL player, Tony Armstrong who shared his story and drive towards a truly democratic society. The students also had a Q&A session with various members of our media and asked questions around ethics and responsibility in today’s media. We heard from the 2025 young Australian of the year, Amber Brock-Fabel on her views around trust, voice, and empowerment as a young person in South Australia.

The state’s youth ambassadors then hosted an interactive session around the democratic process which provided an excellent opportunity for the students to experience solving problems together. Lunch was spent with legends and leaders from a vast range of fields including sport, politics, arts, and community.

The day concluded with an address from Her Excellency, Hon Frances Adamson AC, the Governor of South Australia and an amazing performance from indigenous band, DEM MOB. Where they used the voices of the students attending to create a song.

Our CAS students were recognised for their dedication for making the trip to Adelaide and commended on their efforts to be there and have their voices heard. The day made our students really think about their ability to make change and have a voice in our community here in Cummins, and the wider community of South Australia.

We are also fortunate enough to see the Sheffield Shield which the South Australian Men’s cricket team won for the first time in 29 years!