Jacob Osenaris is well-suited to advocacy work. Passionate about social justice and fighting for the things he believes in, the 16-year-old student wants to address the systemic issues in the community holistically.
“You can ask anyone in my family, I’m very opinionated,” he says.
This passion for social justice is the main reason Jacob joined the City of Ballarat’s Youth Ambassadors program, which he says is a great way to satisfy his desire to give back to the community.
However, a new program is helping Jacob and his Youth Ambassador cohort put their passion for advocacy into practice. The ‘Speak Up!’ program, which was developed by staff at the Eureka Centre, is designed to teach young people about active citizenship, democracy and advocacy.