In September, adult residents voted for Wollongong City Councillors. This week, teenagers are voting at ballot boxes in high schools across the city for representatives on Wollongong Youth Forum, the only one of its kind in NSW.

It's the second year that Wollongong City Council has partnered with the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) to democratically elect a forum for ages 12 to 17 as part of the Young Mayors Program. Polling opened today, November 4 and will close on November 13.

Results will be announced on November 15, after which the 12 teenagers elected will spend a year working with Council on various issues.

Giving young people not only a public voice but a platform to put their ideas into practice is a concept spreading around the world but relatively new in Australia, with only five programs across the country. We gave our local campaigners the chance to share their stories and – just like the mayoral candidates in the recent council elections – each tackled the same questions.

Thanks to Stevie, Sean, Charlie, Fatima, Ethan, Zelda, Mariam, Alyssa, Enerel and Jayden for their replies.

Meet a candidate: Ethan Zappelli

My name is Ethan Zappelli and I’m a local 17 year old, currently in Year 12 at Five Islands Secondary College, I stand for social equality and further social equity in Wollongong. I am fascinated by history, philosophy and political theory and hope to have a career in those fields in my future.

Why do you want to be part of the Wollongong Youth Forum?

For the better part of a year my family of 10 and I have been unfortunate enough to be placed in temporary housing. I am blessed enough to have an incredibly supportive family, but during this time I have met many people, young and old, who are in similar situations who have had little support. But local support workers and even my school’s wellbeing staff have shown me how significant even a quality-of-life change can be for people in these situations. So I have decided to campaign for the Youth Forum with this idea in mind, that even the smallest changes can mean the world to some.

What are the biggest issues facing Wollongong's young people today?

Given this experience, I have realised that a significant portion of people in Wollongong are not being given the same opportunities to live and further express themselves in the community and this is an issue in multiple areas, whether that be socially, economically or culturally. One of the most vulnerable communities in light of these issues is the youth community, but they are also the group with the most potential to change the situation for the better.

If you could deliver one key project in your year, what would it be?

Overall, I have three key goals I will aim to achieve in term, which you can see on my candidate profile on the Young Mayors Wollongong website and will also be able to be seen at voting booths during the voting  period. But the most personally significant of all these goals to me has to be creating a network or a “safety net” for youth facing severe economic and quality-of-life issues in light of the cost-of-living crisis, as this issue is probably the most glaring in my personal situation.

Read more candidate Q&As with Stevie, Sean, Charlie, Fatima, Ethan, Zelda, Mariam, Alyssa, Enerel and Jayden

For more information about the Wollongong Youth Forum, visit the FYA website