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The opportunity
Do you have an opinion on an issue you want to share? Do you have a solution to a problem? What story do you want to share with us about being a young Victorian or working with young people?
We want to hear from young people and those who work with them to submit their writing to be published on the YACVic blog. We’d love to hear what you have to say about your experience as a young person, and topics and issues you are passionate about. Let our blog be your platform for getting your voice out there!
Sign up to become a YACVic member
YACVic members will hear about our opportunities first hand. It’s easy and free for young people aged 25 and under.
Remuneration
This is a voluntary opportunity.
How we support you
If your submission is chosen to go on the blog, YACVic's Media and Communications team will work with you to get the content as hot as it can be. If there is any media interest or follow up the YACVic team will coordinate and support you with this. You don’t need to be an outstanding writer to submit, but you should be open to developing your writing craft.
What is expected of me?
We’ll work with you to make your content reach far and wide! Pitch to us an idea for a blog post in 200 words or less and then we’ll work with you to see where it can fit in our content mix.
What will I get from this?
If your piece is published on the YACVic blog then your ideas and voice will live online for you to share with anyone you wish. We will share your work to and youth workers across the Victorian youth sector via our newsletter Announce and social media.
What skills and knowledge will I develop through this opportunity?
Writing, editing and publishing are the most obvious skills you’ll use and develop. If your piece is published then you’ll be able to link to it in your university or job applications too.
Submission guidelines
Like any publication, we have a good idea of what makes a great story for our readers. We ask that you consider the following guidelines when submitting to our blog.
Elevate covers the following:
- Issues that impact young people in Victoria
- Pieces that educate and inspire action
- Reflections on issues that impact young people
- Stories that inspire change, personal growth and community building.
- Cool projects that young people and the youth sector are brewing up
If you have a cool idea and unsure about how to proceed, get in touch! We’ll work with you to get the content as hot as it can be. You don’t need to be an outstanding creative to submit, but you should be open to developing your idea.
Share your perspective
We want to hear your opinion and personal thoughts on something going on in the world. It can be fun or serious, global or local, something that affects you and your friends. We like the small impact story but also the big-picture stories! If you’re passionate about it then we want to hear about it.
Keep it original
We can only publish pieces created by you.
Check your story is right for us
As the peak body for young people and the sector that supports them, it is important that we fairly represent young Victorians while also remaining true to our vision and values as an organisation. Familiarise yourself with what we stand for, as well as the kinds of stories we have previously published on our blog.
Get creative
Are there any images, videos, gifs or illustrations which might help convey your message, your personality, or both? It’s not compulsory, but it can be great to give your story a little extra shine. Be sure to provide links to any images you wish to use so we can properly credit the authors.
Ensure your post is easy to read and follow
Regardless of the style or format of your submission, we are looking for structure and language that is as accessible as possible. If you’re submitting a written piece, write in short, sharp sentences and paragraphs, and use headings to break up your points a bit more. We recommended you introduce the issue/topic in the beginning, follow with a series of short body paragraphs that explain your position, and wrap it all up with a conclusion
If your submission is visual or not in a written format, then we will ask a standard set of questions for you to describe the work to help our audience understand your work.
Keep to length
We are looking for stories that sit between 500-1000 words.
Include references
If you mention facts or other people’s ideas in your article, please provide a hyperlink to the source so we can properly credit the author.
Submit now
If you’ve considered the submission guidelines and would like to contribute to YACVic’s blog, please email communications@yacvic.org.au with ‘blog submission’ in the subject line.
Please pitch your story in your email (200 words or less). We’re open to written blog posts and we also love visual blog posts (think images, memes and videos!).
Please note that we reserve the right to make edits to your submissions before publishing, though if these are significant we will be in touch to discuss them further.
We will do our best to get back to you about your submission within 10 working days.
If you have any questions please contact our Digital Communications Officer at communications@yacvic.org.au
What we love to publish
Advocacy: Our advocacy is at the core of what we do. We are looking for pieces that engage with issues that impact young people in Victoria. We like pieces that inspire action such as Write it up, write it loud: a guide on messaging your MP or reflections on issues that impact young people such as Who are the experts on education? — One guess, it’s not the adults and National Marriage Equality Survey: what do the results tell us about young people?
Human stories: We love stories that inspire change, personal growth and community-building. That’s why we’ve started Lunchbox Life: a lunchtime read where we learn about what cool projects young people and youth sector workers are brewing up. Some examples from our blog include: Activator Spotlight: How young people are building Queer Connections in Warnambool with Max Taylor, My life-changing-year since being a Young Thinker in Residence and Spinning it my way: what I’m learning as a judge for Top Spin.
Types of submissions
Interviews, visual storytelling pieces, opinion pieces, personal narratives. We’re always looking for people to interview other people working on cool projects so please get in touch if you’re interested in being a YACVic blog interviewer.