There has been a growing interest from people across the annual ChangeFest gatherings to continue to learn, connect and collaborate throughout the year. And so, the ChangeFest Learning Network now provides a regular opportunity for all of us across the movement to share practice and learn, to connect and build, and to take a deep breath and reflect.
Our online monthly Lunch & Learn sessions are free and designed to explore a story of community-led change, as well as provide space to connect with each other.
From Listening to Leading: young people in decision making
ChangeFest Lunch & Learns return for 2026 with the story of Cairns South Together and their journey towards accountability to young people. Cairns South Together will share how they have sought to truly hear the voices of young people in their community through co-design of a youth voice framework. Like many communities, Cairns South Together are now seeking to take the next steps – to move from hearing the voice of young people, to having young people in the decision making.
Fresh from being part of a session on accountability to young people at ChangeFest25, Cairns South Together are keen to share their experiences, and together with the movement, explore the following questions.
“How do we change the hearts and minds of adults to see young people not as the beneficiaries of our work, but as partners?”
“How do we share leadership with young people for a better future for our community?”
About the Presenters
Thomas Wintzloff – Program Manager
Thomas is a community development leader with Mission Australia, driving place-based services that support children and families in Cairns South. He leads the backbone team for Cairns South Together, a collective impact initiative, working to create a thriving future for young people through collaboration and community-led solutions.
Andrew Piccone, Community Engagement Facilitator
Andrew is a Community Engagement Facilitator with Mission Australia, focusing his efforts on Youth Voice work within the Cairns South. Working as a backbone support for Cairns South Together, his passion lies in support of young people as he drives place-based change by encouraging and enhancing their voices, preparing them to be the next generation of change makers and foundation shakers.
About Cairns South Together
About the ChangeFest Learning Network
The ChangeFest Learning Network is a regular opportunity for all of us across the ChangeFest Movement to share practice and learn, to connect and build, and to take a deep breath and reflect. It will provide us all with the space to listen and hear from each other in ways that will help us in our own work for community-led system change – whether it be in communities, government, large for purpose organisations and businesses.
Learning Network Lunch & Learn Sessions are usually held from 12.30 – 2pm (AEST) and are designed to be “easy for you to contribute, simple for us to hold, meaningful for us all to be part of.” Each event will be free and provide opportunity to explore practices and stories of community led change – and an opportunity to connect with each other across the ChangeFest Movement.
Share your story
If you have a story or a challenge you want to share at a lunch time session – or build collective action around, please get in touch at hello@changefest.com.au. We are particularly keen to highlight stories that embody the principles of the ChangeFest Statement, namely:
- Shared leadership: between First Nations and other Australians
- Collaboration: recognising the roles we each play in changing the systems and the need to work together on complex challenges
- Power: that effective place based change is when communities are enabled to lead and work in collaboration with other decision makers and power holders.
Past events
The ChangeFest Learning Network was introduced in 2024 and is a long-term plan – working developmentally to create diverse opportunities for learning and relationship building. The following online “lunchbox sessions” have been held:
Sept 2025 – Imagined Futures: Sowing the seeds of empathy
Aug 2025 – Regen Labs: How do we grow regenerative local economies rooted in justice, care, and place?
July 2025 – Barkly Community Researchers: Continuing to work in the middle space
June 2025 – The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy
May 2025 – The Liberated Method and relational practice
April 2025 – Learning the Macleay: Building momentum for community action
December 2024 – The ChangeFest Statement in Action: What does it mean in your context
September 2024 – The Narrative: changing the story of catalytic events to mobilise a collaborative effort.