Get Involved
Co-creating Child-Friendly Communities
Online Workshop and Peer Coaching Series October 2025 – June 2026
Are you seeking meaningful ways to engage with children that extend beyond satisfaction surveys?
Do you want to ensure your programs and services are truly inclusive of the voices and needs of children in your community?
This free interactive online learning program is designed for Communities for Children (CfC) Facilitating Partners and Community Partners who are ready to strengthen their practice in child engagement for their own context.
Using the Child-Friendly Community Engagement Framework and The Nest Wellbeing Framework for Children and Young People, you will gain the knowledge to work directly on the opportunities and challenges present in your own community, gain practical skills, and be part of a peer network to drive change in your communities.
Learning program outline
Workshop 1: Foundations of Child-centred engagement through The Nest
12 noon – 2 pm Canberra time, 30 Oct 2025
- This session focuses on the ‘why’ behind the project and introduces The Nest and
its connection with child-friendly communities.
Establish the fundamental ideas and common language for using The Nest
framework to strengthen child-centred engagement and participation in various
contexts. - Explore case studies and examples of how The Nest framework has been utilised
and applied in different contexts. - Introduction to the Child-Friendly Community Engagement Framework and its practical application.
Workshop 2: Deep dive into Child-friendly Engagement Framework
12 noon – 2 pm Canberra time, 25 Nov 2025
- This session focuses on the ‘how’ of using the Child-friendly Engagement
Framework and integration into local contexts. - Discussion on selection and adaptation of resources and tools to support child-centred engagement for program design, delivery and evaluation.
- Interactive activities focused on how to adapt the framework’s domains and
questions to suit different community needs, resources, and goals. - Showcasing a range of child-friendly methods (e.g., drawing, storytelling, digital
tools) and discussing how to choose the right method for different cohorts (age,
ability, cultural background). - A facilitated discussion on navigating common barriers and leveraging enablers
for successful implementation.
Peer coaching sessions
- Provide a semi-structured forum for participants to share and reflect on the
progress, learnings and challenges from the use and implementation of the
framework. - Discuss and analyse implementation strategies, enablers and barriers
encountered in a variety of contexts. - Engage in facilitated group reflection and collaborative problem-solving
- Establish peer-learning networks.
Format
Delivery: Virtual (via MS Teams)
Structure: 2 workshop sessions × 2 hours each + 3 peer coaching sessions x 1.5 hours
each
Total Duration: 8.5 hours online + time for implementation
Why this program matters:
Meaningful child participation is more than just an activity, it’s a fundamental shift in practice. Many organisations want to engage with children but are held back by a lack of confidence, practical tools, or a clear, evidence-based approach.
This program is designed to build the core capacity needed to listen to children and ensure that their insights shape and improve community programs.
What you’ll accomplish:
- Ground your practice in evidence: Understand the ‘why’ of child engagement through The Nest Wellbeing Framework and its connection to creating thriving, child-friendly communities.
- Learn and adapt practical tools for your programs: Learn how to apply the flexible Engagement Framework to design and adapt localised, culturally safe consultation tools and resources for children aged 6-12.
- Collaborate with your peers: Join a network of CfC partners to share real-world experiences, troubleshoot common barriers, and celebrate successes.
- Build lasting confidence and capacity: Move from uncertainty to action, developing the skills to embed ethical and effective child-centred practices in your ongoing work.
Who should attend:
This program is designed for CfC Facilitating Partners (FPs) and Community Partners (CPs), including project leaders, engagement officers, and any practitioner who wants to strengthen their ability to engage with children to inform program design, delivery, and evaluation.
Participant expectations:
What you would need to commit to by coming:
- Session 1: Interest in foundational understanding of The Nest framework to
strengthen child engagement and participation in Child Friendly Communities. - Session 2: Interest in learning how to use The Nest Framework to engage with
children and commit to applying tools from the Child Friendly Communities
Engagement and Consultation Framework. Interested participants would need to
complete a short EOI detailing their commitment to the process, which would
include participation in the peer coaching. - Peer Coaching Sessions: Commit to attending all 3 peer coaching sessions and
using the framework in their work for the purpose of engaging in peer learning
and guided reflections. Participants will be expected to participate in these sessions actively and to share their experience in applying the framework.
Come ready to connect, reflect, and collaborate – you’ll leave with fresh insights for your community and practical approaches you can apply to strengthen child engagement and participation.
Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us
Fill in the form below to register
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WHAT WE DO
Looking for more?
Search through our extensive Resource Library including Research papers, Submissions, Reports and much more.
ARACY's The Nest
What's in The Nest?
With six connected areas, The Nest ensures young Australians have everything they need for the best start in life, helping them reach their highest potential.
Our Nest projects
Using The Nest, has helped ARACY to be at the forefront of disease prevention and the promotion of holistic health for young Australians.
The Nest initiatives
Here you’ll see some examples of how The Nest has been used in organisations outside of ARACY across Australia.