Explore New Possibilities
About
The New Possibilities aims to enhance knowledge of youth politics and their relation to climate change, social and democratic change. We are developing new understandings of how young people conceptualise and respond to complex social, economic, and environmental challenges.
New • Collective • Bold • Creative • Just •
Our impacts to date include:
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Expanding knowledge of youth perspectives and actions [Link to publications]
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New forms of public pedagogy in partnership with young people and industry [link to Powerhouse and Edge Impact videos]
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Evidence-based advice and resources for teaching and policy-making [LINK to podcasts]
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Improved young people’s sense of political efficacy, and informed and engaged citizenship. [LINK to content by young people]
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Through explaining and amplifying what young people are doing to shape democracy, we inform political parties, civil society groups and educators on how to effectively engage with younger people in democratic processes.
Project History
This project builds on a pilot project conducted in 2019, as part of a 19-country study about who is taking part in climate protests. Since then, we have been developing a conceptual framework, research and analytical methods in response to the development of the student climate movement.
We are inspired by their leadership in calling for urgent and meaningful responses to the climate crisis and we believe these have broader implications for the health of our democracies around the world.
OUR IMPACT
The New Possibilities project will enhance knowledge of student politics and their relation to climate change, social and democratic change. It will provide an understanding of how young people understand and respond to complex social, economic, and environmental challenges. The project will also explore how different settings, practices and political commitments move young people to action and the specific role of gender. The project’s findings will be channelled to support democratic participation, teaching and policy-making and enhance young people’s sense of political efficacy, and informed and engaged citizenship. This will support the broader social, cultural and economic outcomes.
Through explaining and amplifying what young people are doing to shape democracy, the project will inform political parties, civil society groups and educators on how to effectively engage with younger people in democratic processes. The project will share research findings via the media library, public reports and a major international workshop with policy-makers, educators, civil society organisations and students.
Vision
In this project, we work with young people to document and analyse how they participate in politics and to create a unique digital media library and novel resource for democratic renewal.
Over three years (2023-2025) we will map student climate action around Australia, conduct surveys, social media and legacy media analysis, and in-depth interviews. From this, we will generate case studies, longitudinal and rich insights into what moves young people to become political active and how they are conceptualising and making politics in a time of climate crisis.
