Maximising the Middle: A Year in Review

Brooke Hardy • December 21, 2025

Setting the conditions for middle years young people to thrive

SMALL GESTURES

This year began with small but powerful gestures - showing up, having fun, and building genuine connections with Changemakers and middle years young people. From the outset, our focus has been on relationships, engagement, and creating spaces where middle years young people felt seen and heard.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Mid-year, our Changemakers Gathering brought the coalition together to celebrate successes, exchange ideas, and share stories from across the regions. It was a valuable moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with our shared purpose. We shared key insights from our research project with Western Sydney University, grounding our work in evidence and the lived experiences of middle years young people. Alongside this, Changemakers strengthened their practice through the Stronger Smarter Institute’s Specialist Training. This training enabled Changemakers to deepen their understanding of processes and frameworks to enact the Stronger Smarter Approach.

LISTENING TO MIDDLE YEARS YOUNG PEOPLE

As the year progressed, we moved into the Ignite phase: listening deeply to middle years young people about what and who matters most to them, to inform projects that will be built around what they said. This meant meeting middle years young people where they are; serving up a breakfast BBQ at school, joining in a vibrant multicultural festival, and hosting focus groups with children aged 8-14 years. These moments of connection reinforced the importance of trust and curiosity in shaping meaningful change.

STRONG FOUNDATIONS

Together with our Changemakers, this year has been about listening, learning, and working alongside middle years young people to build what comes next. We’re so excited to move into 2026 with this strong foundation of High Expectation Relationships, evidence from listening to middle years young people, a focus on strengths, and considering all aspects of wellbeing, so that all middle years young people have the opportunity to thrive.

FOLLOW US

In between sausage sizzles and training, we also launched our website and socials! Keep up to date with us next year by following us: