Young Speakers Colloquium
The Young Speakers Colloquium invites past Catholic education students to share their work and their motivation for making a difference, and reveal pathways into professions that advocate for change to help inspire our current students to find their passion.
Catholic educators see learning as a journey of endless possibilities, where students are energised to seek meaning and explore questions about the world around them … It is a journey that is enlightened by faith, animated by love and leading to hope (Horizons of Hope: Vision and Context).
This resource may be used with Years 9–12 in areas such as career pathway programs, Religious Education, wellbeing and social justice activities.
How you might use these videos with students
As your students pause and watch, invite them to uncover and value the narrative of others and make meaning by asking themselves:
- What do I see?
- What do I hear?
- What do I feel?
- What am I thinking?
- What do I know?
- What does this story mean for me?
Deep learning embraces difference
Encourage your students to dig deeper and seek truth:
- What’s one action within my own life that I might take as a result of watching this? When will I do it? (Write it down.)
- What further questions does this raise for me?
Deep learning invites dialogue, a communal search for truth
It is based on trust, deep listening of another’s narrative and openness to being transformed:
- What do others and my peers bring to this story?
- What do I think now and why?
An additional resource that may be of interest
Andrew Yule from Jesuit Social Services offers the following key messages about social justice today:
- doing and influencing
- living in a web of relationships
- advancing social and ecological justice
- engaging in issues and thinking critically
- hearing the voices of people with lived experience of these issues.
2021 Colloquium speaker biographies
Tim Thomaidis
Project Manager, Smiling Mind
After a life-changing trip to Timor-Leste with Padua College in 2012, Tim’s eyes were opened to a world of stark inequality. Upon returning, Tim felt motivated to take action and, with the support of his school and teachers, established a community-based social enterprise to support a group of women and their community in Timor-Leste. In 2014, Tim was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year for the Mornington Peninsula region for his social justice initiatives both at home and internationally.
In 2017, Tim graduated from La Trobe University with a double-degree in Public Health and International Development, subsequently finding work in the local public health sector. During his time at La Trobe, Tim was president of the Oxfam student club, and managed a number of on-campus initiatives and fundraisers to spread awareness about important issues such as global food inequality and Indigenous health inequality.
Over the years, Tim has had the opportunity to speak and facilitate at a number of workshops and conferences both locally and abroad, including at the UNESCO in Paris and YMCA in Japan on topics such as global citizenship and social entrepreneurship. Currently, Tim works as a project manager for Smiling Mind, coordinating a range of projects focused on mindfulness and meditation, and combining his passion for helping others with his keen interest in public health and mental wellbeing.
Sinead Coulter
Graphic Designer, Edrolo
Sinead currently works as a graphic designer for Edrolo. This facilitates her drive to have a direct impact on developing education across Australia. In this role, Sinead develops learning resources that improve secondary education. She is hopeful for a future where she is able to continue this work and expand her reach globally to provide access to high-quality education for all.
Sinead attended Avila College, where she was college captain in 2017. During her time at Avila, Sinead was the Caritas ambassador (2013) and participated in several musical productions, as well as the art club, sports club and music society.
After completing secondary school, Sinead completed a bachelor’s degree at Swinburne University of Technology. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Design (majoring in Communication Design and UX Interaction Design).
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In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' spiritual and cultural connection to country, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Kulin nations. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation, and hope they will walk with us on our journey.