Energy, excitement, and a little bit of nerves. Seven young men – aged between 15 and 18 – came together for the first time for the Top Blokes Youth Ambassador Council, eager to champion the voices of young men and positively shape the future. While our ambassadors in QLD and NSW were separated by the border in these first meetings, their passion, drive and sense of unity were evident from the start.
Salim, age 17 from Western Sydney spoke up about the importance of expressing emotions and challenging the stereotype that “real men don’t cry.” His courage in advocating for emotional openness was inspiring, and every boy had something meaningful to share about their experience on the Top Blokes program.
Team building and leadership
The meetings kicked off with exercises to help the boys understand why they were there and what the future of the Youth Ambassador Council could look like.
Jason Luu, Grad Club Coordinator at Top Blokes, explains, “This is a new program for Top Blokes and it’s important that we empower these young men to make the decisions and use their strengths and their voice. It’s really up to them how they will shape the council now and into the future.”
The boys explored each others’ leadership styles using the leadership compass – a set of guiding principles or values leaders use to navigate their decision-making and actions. They discussed their strengths and weaknesses and how they could support each other through challenges or future campaigns they might want to lead.
Thinking ahead
Leadership, growth and connection with their mentors, public speaking, and ways they could represent Top Blokes and advocate for young men everywhere were top of the council agenda. The discussions made it clear that our youth ambassadors want to be a voice for young men, actively engage in supporting the development of campaigns and programs, and, by doing so, help address mental health struggles among their peers.
“I want to make a change in the stigma around men’s mental health,” said Austin, age 17 from QLD.
Evaluating impact
Dr. Christina Jarron, Research and Evaluation Manager at Top Blokes spent part of the day with the Youth Ambassador Council. Her goal? To bring the young male voice, views and perspective into how Top Blokes can help shape a positive future for boys and young men everywhere.
The group discussed identity, connection, wellbeing, finding meaning and fulfilment and communication. “Building programs and goals for young male mental health led by young men is a top priority at Top Blokes. We’ve always used our program evaluation data and feedback as a listening tool to find out what is front of mind for young people. It’s exciting to now be at a stage in our development as an organisation where we can build and co-create directly with the young men we serve.”
In the afternoon it was time to put leadership skills to the test in the Escape Room. A chance to work together in a fun way and see how each other’s strengths can help them achieve their goals and tackle challenges as a unified team.
Looking ahead
The boys are eager to continue their journey, asking, “What’s next?” and “When do we meet the NSW boys?” And while the name of the Youth Ambassador Council is still up for debate, the council members know their voices matter and they are excited to shape the future together. By the end of the day, the boys felt accomplished as a team and super excited for the next meeting. Our first Youth Ambassador Council meeting was a success, setting the stage for many more impactful sessions to come.
