Emerging Leaders Forums

ELF is an interactive learning program featuring two distinct streams catered separately to primary school students in Years 5 and 6, and junior secondary students in Years 7 and 8.

The program aims to enhance engagement with the Asia-Pacific region and provides earlier level curriculum entry points for schools to help embed global learning and engagement activities into their teaching and learning and student engagement initiatives.

Benefits for students

The ELF connects Victorian and offshore students. A core benefit for students involved is that it enhances student leadership, voice, agency and intercultural understanding, and provides participants with the opportunity to explore what it means to be a global citizen.

The learning objectives of the ELF 7-8 program are to:

• develop a deep understanding of global citizenship and its responsibilities
• enhance awareness of assumptions and stereotypes while fostering intercultural understanding
• engage actively with diverse global perspectives, experiences, and cultures
• utilise knowledge and skills to take meaningful action in addressing global and local challenges.

The learning objectives of the ELF 5-6 program are to:

• understand personal leadership and teamwork strengths and learn how to use these to work well with others
• strengthen awareness of the geographical region and develop understanding of intercultural communication
• interact with different global perspectives, experiences, and cultures developing effective communication skills
• explore the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, global citizenship and intercultural understanding.

Program structure

In this program, students undertake a critical, creative and collaborative learning activity focused on global citizenship linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Teachers and students are supported by pre-forum and post-forum activities designed to build their foundational knowledge for maximum engagement, and are exposed to captivating guest speakers and youth change-makers.

Key dates

There are two cohorts of the Emerging Leaders Forum running in 2025.

Contact

To contact the department, email: global.learning@education.vic.gov.au