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: Jayden Atherton

My name is Jayden Atherton (he/they), and I was lucky to be part of last year's Wollongong Youth Forum. I've lived in Corrimal my whole life and am a typically creative person who wants to help in my community.

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

The Wollongong Youth Forum is an important part of me and has given me the chance to do amazing things for our community. I would want nothing more than to be able to continue to support young people and give them a voice where they can be empowered through our actions. Helping people in need gives me a sense of purpose and strength knowing I can improve people's lives, even just a little bit.

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

One of the wider issues currently faced by young people is the lack of funding in public schools. Schools do not have or receive enough equipment to cater to and support the education of students, thus resulting in a lower standard of education, which is vital for young people to have so they can become knowledgeable adults and enter careers. Additionally, families who have low incomes, or are in unfortunate positions, are less likely to afford school for their children, as they will be expected to pay more to even out the cost. Even though this issue is not an easy fix, we may be able to do something small, and even that is better than leaving this issue alone.

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

One key project is hard to decide with so many problems being faced by young people. I would possibly want to visit different shelters and support services and provide care packages with blankets and hygiene products for young people in rough situations. I would also want to inform the public of these services so they know there are safe places to go if they need one. I understand this will not solve any problem, but the youth forum is not a magic solution, we are just trying to make our city a better place.

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