Delve into the public-facing work our team has engaged in and the impact we have made in the community.
in the media
SOURCE
Type
Title
date
Link
The Conversation
Article
Climate change is a crisis of intergenerational justice. It’s not too late to make it right
2025
Access here
The Conversation
Article
Australia has elected its youngest senator. With Gen Z wielding more political power, is it a sign of things to come?
2025
Access here
The Conversation
Article
'Disappointment and disbelief’ after Morrison government vetoes research into student climate activism’
2022
Access here
Western Sydney University
Article
Emerging Voices for the Planet: How young people are re-energising democracy with their fight for climate justice
2026
Access here
Diplomacy Training Programme
Video
Emerging Voices for the Planet: How young people are re-energising democracy with their fight for climate justice
2021
Access here
Conferences
Speakers
Title
date
Location
J Bessant, M Catanzaro, P Collin
A Post Anthropocentric Imaginary and Policies for Young People
6-11 July 2025
5th ISA Forum of Sociology
M Catanzaro, R Watts, J Bessant, P Collin, L DiMartino
Understanding Young People’s Visual Politics: the Role of Author and Audience in Climate Conference Proceedings International Conference
24-25 October, 2024
UNED, Madrid
Bessant, Catanzaro, Collin
"Complicities, cracks and refusals in co-authorship processes with young climate activists"
26 November 2025
The Australian Sociological Association National Conference
Collin, Catanzaro, Bessant, Watts
"Youth and the Politics of (Climate) Activism: remaking democracy in times of crisis"
26 November 2025
The Australian Sociological Association National Conference
Collin, P.
From the ground up: Amplifying grassroots leadership in civic engagement and political participation
May 15 2025
Centre for Western Sydney (webinar)
Collin, P.
xxx
19 June 2025
Canterbury-Bankstown Youth Summit, Bankstown
Collin, P.
Business as usual is not working. What forms of knowledge, communication and governance are needed for societies to thrive in a hotter world? Preparing Nature & Society for a Hotter World
September 15-16 2025
Joint Academies Workshop in partnership with Australian National University and Melbourne University.
Catanzaro, M.
Visual Power: Protest Placards as Design Resistance
September 6, 2025
Asian conference of Design History and Theory, Osaka, Japan, Kindai University
Collin, P. Bessant, Watts, Di Martino
New Possibilities Young People and Democratic Renewal
August 20 2025
Newcastle Youth Studies Centre
Gordon, F.
Middle Years Workshop, paper title: 'Middle Years and Social Media'
February 2026
Australian National University
Gordon, F.
'Global Convergence in Action: Building a Rights-Based Digital World for Children'
September 2025
University of Colombo
Gordon, F.
'Youth Activism in Australia to Address Climate Harm for Future Generations'
August 2024
Australian Studies Institute, The 5th Annual Australia and the World Symposium, Anniversary of the Lucky Country
Gordon, F.
Children’s Rights in Australia
November 2024
Western Sydney University
Gordon, F.
‘Centring the Youth Voice in Addressing Online Harms’
16 May 2024
Public Policy Exchange
Gordon, F.
Invited Keynote Address at Faculty of Law Universitas Brawijaya Malang
25-26 October 2023
The International Conference on Law of Transnational Crime (ICTC 2023)
Soo, D
Solidarities: “How barriers have been constructed for Australian South-Asians participating in the youth-led climate movement: A case study of SS4C”
29-30 May 2025
20th Anniversary Asian Australian Studies Research Network conference
Publications
Author(s)
Title
Publication
date
(LINK)
Soo, D.
Barriers to Young People of Colour in Climate Activism: a Case Study of School Strike 4 Climate
JAYS
2025
Access here
Bessant, J., Collin, P. Krutsch, E.
‘It’s Time: Lowering the vote to 16’
Journal of Applied Youth Studies
2025
Access here
Bessant, J., Collin, P. Krutsch, E.
Civics Education and Citizenship in the Anthropocene
Journal of Applied Youth Studies
2025
Access here
Bessant, J., Prost, A., & Watts, R.
Intergenerational climate justice: applying theory to policy in the Anthropocene
Journal of Applied Youth Studies
2025
Access here
Bessant, J., Watts, R., & Collin, P.
Student Activism and Protest
Sage Encyclopedia of Education and Gender
2025
Access here
Watts et al, and Collin P.
Academic Freedom’ v Climate Change Denial: How the politics of research funding shapes the possibilities for researching grassroots activism
Sabine von Mering et al (eds) Routledge Handbook of Grassroots Climate Activism
2025
Access here
Bessant, J., & Watts, R. Young
Young and invisible in a time of polycrisis: reframing the problem and finding solutions.
Journal of Youth Studies
2025
Access here
Gordon, F.
Beyond the Ivory Tower: How Academia can Support Youth Climate Activism in Australia
Court of Conscience
2025
Access here
Soo, D. Supervised by Catanzaro, M. HCA
How have barriers been constructed for young People of Colour in climate activism: A case study of School Strike 4 Climate
2025
Access here
N Rogers, F Gordon
Children take action: Courtroom and other tales of the climate generation
Nelson, Buiten, Death (eds)The Public Child: Media Power, Strategic Silencing, and Children's Rights in Australia. Palgrave Macmillan.
2025
Access here
O'Keeffe, P., Bessant, J., & Drake, M.
The Politics of Framing the Student Problem: Inquiries Into Australian Civics Education
Australian Journal of Social Issues
2025
Access here
Shakespeare, M., Catanzaro, M. and Brooker, CJ.
Realising Common Ground: Custodianship of Country and Youth Climate Action
Routledge Handbook of Grassroots Climate Activism
2024
Access here
Bessant, J., Collin, P., Watts, R
A Revisionist Account the Democratic Crisis and Youth Participation
Research Handbook for the Sociology of Youth, Edward Elgar Publishing
2025
Access here
Catanzaro, M.
Understanding Young People’s visual politics: Making young people’s participation (more) visible
Research handbook for the Sociology of Youth, Edward Elgar Publishing
2025
Access here
Catanzaro, M., Watts, R., J Bessant, P Collin, L DiMartino & Soo, D.
Understanding Young People’s Visual Politics: the Role of Author and Audience in Climate Protests
Conference Proceedings International Conference: Sociopolitical Engagements and Youth Activisms
2025
Access here
Collin, P., Bessant, J., and Watts, R., L.,
Understanding Young People’s Visual Politics: the Role of Author and Audience in Climate Protests
McLeod, J., Wright K. (Eds.), Childhood, Youth and Activism: Global Perspectives on Demands for Rights and Justice from Young People and their Advocates, Emerald
2025
Access here
Collin, P., Bessant, J., and Watts, R., L.,
Understanding Young People’s Visual Politics: the Role of Author and Audience in Climate Protests
McLeod, J., Wright K. (Eds.), Childhood, Youth and Activism: Global Perspectives on Demands for Rights and Justice from Young People and their Advocates, Emerald
2025
Access here
Di Martino, L.
Strategic authenticity in the promotion of a protest action on social media: the case of the School Strike 4 Climate in Sydney
Communication Research and Practice
2025
Access here
Gordon, F.
Climate Harm and Future Generations: Young People Pushing for Australian Law to Change with the Times
Court of Conscience
2024
Access here
Watts, R., Bessant, J., Catanzaro, M., Collin, P., Jackson, S.
The Political in the Anthropocene: Reflections on a Ministerial Veto
Australian Journal of Environmental Education
2024
Access here
Watts, R., Bessant, J., Jackson, S., Catanzaro, M., Gordon, F., & Collin, P.
Climate Change Denial: How the Politics of Research Funding Shapes the Possibilities for Researching Grassroots Activism
The Routledge Handbook of Grassroots Climate Activism
2024
Access here
Arnot G, Pitt H, McCarthy S, Collin P, Thomas S.
Supporting young people as genuine political actors in climate decision-making
Health Promot Int.
2023
Access here
Bessant, J., Collin, P., and Watts, R.
Blah, Blah, Blah … [not] business as usual’: politics through the lens of young female climate leaders
Australian Journal of Political Science
2023
Access here
Collin, P., & Gordon, F. Children and young people contesting citizenship
Children and young people contesting citizenship
Handbook of Children and Youth Studies
2023
Access here
Tasker, S. & Collin, P. Young
Young people shaping wise futures
Shaping Wise Futures, Brill Publishing
Access here
Catanzaro, M. & Collin, P.
Kids Communicating Climate Change: Learning from the Visual Language of the SchoolStrike4Climate Protests
Educational Review special issue - Youth Activism, Climate Change and Education (eds. Frances Howard, Ian Gimpsey, David Rousell).
2021
Access here
Collin, P. & Matthews, I.
School Strike for Climate: Australian Students Renegotiating Citizenship
Bessant, J., Mejia Mesinas, A., and Pickard, S. (eds). 2020. When Students Protest. (Vol 1): Secondary School students. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield: 125 - 144
2021
Access here
Collin, P, Matthews, I. Churchill, B.& Jackson, S.
Protest for a future II: Composition, mobilization and motives of the participants in Fridays For Future climate protests on 20-27 September, 2019, in 19 cities around the world
Joost de Moor, Katrin Uba, Mattias Wahlström, Magnus Wennerhag and Michiel De Vydt (Eds.) Protest for a future II: Composition, mobilization and motives of the participants in Fridays For Future climate protests on 20-27 September, 2019, in 19 cities around the world
2020
