Student Leadership in the Community

Whitehorse Young Citizen of the Year 2026 

We are so proud of Fatima A (Year 11) who was recognised as the 2026 Young Citizen of the Year by Whitehorse Council. 

The annual Whitehorse Civic Awards are designed to recognise, acknowledge and promote the efforts of people and community clubs or groups who either live, work, study or participate in the Whitehorse community. 

The Young Citizen of the Year should demonstrate leadership qualities and have inspired others through their actions or by being a positive role model. 

Fatima was described as a passionate youth advocate and emerging leader dedicated to empowering young people and amplifying their voices. Through local, national and international advocacy, she champions education equity, digital safety and youth wellbeing. 

Her leadership and commitment to meaningful youth participation have inspired others and strengthened opportunities for young people to shape decisions that impact their lives and communities. 

You can see more about these prestigious awards here: https://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/about-whitehorse/awards-grants-and-funding/civic-awards  

Collaboration with 'Whitehorse Youth Connexions' Team 

In November last year, Box Hill High School students won the Whitehorse City Council 'Hack-a-thon' with a proposal to make Youth Services more accessible for all young people. In particular, they proposed an upgrade to the council's website to make it more 'youth friendly'. 

Last term, Zi L, Abby L, Evelyn S & Mingtong X, met with representatives from Whitehorse Council to start bringing their ideas to life. 

This session involved giving feedback about the current youth services website and building a wish list of elements for the future upgrade.  

It was fantastic to see student voice in action and a meaningful partnership formed within our local community! 

School for Student Leadership Update

We currently have four incredible Year 9 students representing Box Hill High School in the School for Student Leadership program. They are spending the next 7 weeks at the Don Valley Campus.  

The School for Student Leadership is a Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) initiative offering a unique residential education experience for Year 9 students. The curriculum focuses on personal development and team learning projects. 

Mingtong X, Zi L, Jeremy T & Vivaan P have provided us with the below update about their term so far: 

Our community learning project is advancing well, and we are beginning to start working on a proposal to improve whole school interconnectivity after a week of finalising the idea. The four of us are excited to present our work to staff from Box Hill on CLP day in week 7.

Regarding our experiences at SSL, it has been a fulfilling week so far that provided us with a unique perspective into the community and environment. I believe we all predicted wrong that the first week was going to be quite frankly, awkward. However, after a day or two, we started forming friendships with enthusiastic young leaders from across Victoria. The interconnectivity we felt after one week at SSL further inspired us to create a similar environment in our home school to make sure everyone is supported and feels valued by the community.   

The activities at SSL have been significantly enriching. Just yesterday, the four of us, along with some other students, headed out to a farm where we participated in tree planting for conservation of the environment. The land is deeply valued by the indigenous community of Wurundjeri people, and planting indigenous seedlings provided a reminder into preserving a clean and sustainable environments for future generations to come.

Mountain biking also supplied a welcome contrast to everyday life, Zi has been relearning how to ride a bike and we are all impressed with her resilience and determination.