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‘…we are currently situated in a posthuman convergence between the Fourth Industrial Age and the Sixth Extinction, between an advanced knowledge economy, which perpetuates patterns of discrimination and exclusion, and the threat of climate change devastation for both human and non-human entities…’
The Lab
The YPSFL is a not-for-profit incorporated association registered in the State of Victoria (AUSTRALIA)
Young people are growing up in conditions that no previous generation has faced: a climate crisis that is already reshaping landscapes, economies and communities; rapid technological change that is transforming work, learning and democratic life; and the long aftermath of a pandemic that exposed and deepened the inequalities that already structured young people’s opportunities.
The Young People’s Sustainable Futures Lab was established because these challenges demand a different kind of response. Not programs designed for young people without them. Not research that stays in journals. Not consultancy that delivers a report and moves on. Something more collaborative, more grounded, and more honest about what the moment requires.
We work alongside young people, communities, educators, governments, industry and funders to co-design projects, programs and credentials that are useful in the present and oriented toward futures that are more just, more regenerative, and more genuinely responsive to the lives young people are actually living.
What We Do
We bring research, evaluation, co-design and professional development together in ways that are grounded in real problems and real relationships. Our work includes:
Research and evaluation
We design and conduct research and evaluation that is rigorous, participatory and useful. We work with partner organisations to ask the questions that matter, gather evidence that is credible, and translate findings into practical action. Our track record spans government, community, philanthropic and industry-funded projects across education, employment, wellbeing and social policy.
Youth participation and leadership
We support young people to move beyond being consulted toward genuine participation in decision-making and design. We use youth assemblies, co-design labs, creative inquiry and digitally enabled approaches to build the capabilities and structures that make this possible — for young people and for the organisations working with them.
Micro-credentials and professional development
We design and deliver digitally badged micro-credentials and short courses — online, in-person and hybrid — for young people and the professionals who work with them. These credentials are flexible, stackable and recognised across education, employment and policy contexts. They are developed in response to the challenges young people are actually facing: climate crisis, technological disruption, intergenerational injustice.
Work With Us
We are interested in partnerships with organisations that share a commitment to working with young people rather than for them, and to contributing to futures that are more just and more liveable for everyone.
If you are a government agency, community organisation, educator, industry partner, researcher or funder with a challenge or question you want to think through, we would like to hear from you.