Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University

Home
Australia
Bilinga, QLD
Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University

Centre for Children and Young People, Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia

11/05/2026

We’re proud to share a new publication from researchers at the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University presenting findings from the School is for Everyone (SIFE) project, delivered in partnership with and funded by the NSW Department of Education.

Led by Professor Anne Graham, AO with Dr Tess Boyle, Dr Antonia Canosa, Dr Catharine Simmons, Dr Donnah Anderson and Dr Lyn Gardon, this research places student voice at the centre - listening directly to the lived experiences of young people across NSW high schools, to understand what practices help young people to enjoy school.

Grounded in a participatory research approach, the study brings together insights from 183 students and 40 staff to better understand what helps support meaningful participation and belonging in schools.

✨ Key insight:
Students are clear in what they told the team - feeling heard, respected and genuinely cared for is foundational at school. Everyday relational practices, where young people are listened to and treated with dignity, are what enable both belonging and meaningful participation.

This work highlights the power of engaging students as active contributors to change and is already informing positive transformations in NSW high schools.

Would like to read more? See the article here: https://lnkd.in/gh8XQwp4

👏 Congratulations to the research team on this impactful contribution.

05/05/2026

We’re delighted to announce the commencement of the Australian Research Council Linkage project led by Southern Cross University, in partnership with the Centre for Excellence In Therapeutic Care, Australian Childhood Foundation, and leading community organisations across NSW and Victoria.

As more children live in kinship care than any other form of out-of-home care, this timely research will generate critical insights into how belonging, identity, safety, and wellbeing can be best supported. Drawing directly on the lived experiences of children, young people, and carers, the project will co-design practice-ready solutions to inform policy and strengthen kinship care systems nationally and internationally.

Led by Professor Lynne McPherson, the research team includes Professor Stuart Barlo & Dr Kylie Day (Gnibi College, SCU); Adjunct Professor Janise Mitchell & Dr Kelly Royds (Australian Childhood Foundation); Professor Kathomi Gatwiri (Flinders University); Emeritus Professor Robbie Gilligan (Trinity College Dublin); A/Prof Emily Hindman and Dr Antonia Canosa (CCYP, SCU). Community partners include Australian Childhood Foundation, Anglicare Victoria, OzChild, and CASPA.

We are also pleased to offer a full-time PhD scholarship as part of this project. The successful applicant will receive a stipend over three years while undertaking research focused on improving outcomes for young people with kinship care experience. Please share this opportunity with suitable candidates in your networks.

07/04/2026

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to listen, learn, and stand alongside victims and survivors of sexual violence, particularly children and young people, by amplifying their voices and strengthening our collective commitment to prevention, justice, and healing.

At the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University, our research builds on the lived experiences of victims and survivors to inform evidence‑based approaches to improve policy, practice, and systems responses.

Importantly, this work has been funded by the The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, supporting rigorous, survivor‑informed research that can lead to meaningful change.

Awareness is only the beginning. Meaningful change comes from listening, learning, and acting together.

Explore the Centre’s resources here:

https://www.scu.edu.au/centre-for-children-and-young-people/our-research/learning-from-victims-and-survivors/

15/12/2025

Celebrating Excellence at the Centre for Children and Young People!

A huge congratulations to Professor Lynne McPherson, Dr Kylie Day, and Associate Professor Georgina Dimopoulos on receiving prestigious Staff Recognition Awards hosted by our Vice Chancellor.

Their outstanding contributions in teaching and research continue to inspire students, colleagues, and the wider community. We are proud to celebrate their dedication, innovation, and impact in shaping the future of education and scholarship at Southern Cross University.

08/12/2025

Congratulations to Indigenous scholar Dr Kylie Day and Professor Lynne McPherson on the publication of their new article in the International Journal of Qualitative Methods: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/16094069251404323.

This research centres Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)—grounded in relationality, land-based learning, and intergenerational practice—through the integration of yarning as both method and methodology.

Highlights include:

❤️ Grounding research in relationships with Aboriginal communities on Bundjalung Country, guided by Elders, ceremony, oral tradition, dance, and storytelling.

❤️ Yarning circles as culturally safe spaces for reciprocal exchange and collective learning.

❤️ Adapting Western epistemological frameworks within Indigenous paradigms to strengthen reflexivity, data sovereignty, and accountability.

❤️ A decolonial, relational model of research grounded in care, ethics, and cultural continuity.

This work challenges colonial research hierarchies and affirms community-led knowledge production, contributing to global efforts to transform institutional research practices and prioritise equity, Indigenous governance, and affirming methodologies across disciplines.

26/11/2025

Exciting new research from the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University has just been published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism!

Authored by Dr Antonia Canosa, Dr Catharine Simmons, and Professor Peter Cook, the article explores how children and young people’s voices can shape more inclusive and sustainable tourism futures.

By highlighting the perspectives of younger generations, the authors argue that tourism policy and practice can move beyond economic outcomes to embrace social justice, wellbeing, and intergenerational equity.

Key insights include:
🔸 Children and young people are not just passive participants in tourism— they are active stakeholders with valuable perspectives.

🔸 Working collaboratively with children and young people in tourism planning strengthens community resilience and sustainability.

🔸 Implications for policy and practice include the need for child-informed governance structures, sustained participatory mechanisms, and reflexive engagement with young people as co-creators of knowledge and change.

This work is a powerful reminder that sustainability must be intergenerational. Listening to children and young people is not optional—it’s essential for building futures that are fair, inclusive, and resilient.

Congratulations to the authors for advancing this important conversation at the intersection of youth, rights, and sustainable tourism.

Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gxrPgAtD

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

20/11/2025

Today, on 20 November, we join the global community in celebrating World Children’s Day – a day dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of children everywhere.

At the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University, our mission is clear: to amplify the voices of children and young people, ensure their perspectives shape research, policy, and practice, and advocate for a world where every child can thrive.

On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to:
❤️ Championing children’s rights and wellbeing
❤️ Creating spaces where young people are heard and valued
❤️ Collaborating with communities, educators, and policymakers to drive meaningful change.

Let’s work together to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe, supported, and empowered.

Children’s voices matter. Children’s rights matter.

09/11/2025

Announcing a NEW Australian Research Council funded project that will reimagine how to strengthen belonging, identity and wellbeing for children growing up in kinship care.

Building on the existing partnership between the Centre for Excellence In Therapeutic Care, Australian Childhood Foundation and the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross Universityy, a groundbreaking Australian Research Council funded research initiative, ($579k over 3 years matched by community agencies) seeks to generate critical insight into how best to nurture belonging, identity, safety, and wellbeing for children and young people growing up in kinship care arrangements. It responds to a pressing social policy priority, one that calls for approaches grounded in evidence, compassion, and the lived realities of families themselves.

Five leading community organisations across NSW and Victoria are partnering Southern Cross University in this research and include: the Australian Childhood Foundation, Anglicare Victoria, OzChild, AbCare and CASPA.

Professor Lynne McPherson is leading the project and said:

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people living in kinship care, most often with their grandparents.”

The Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Janise Mitchell added:

“Every child deserves to grow up feeling they belong. Kinship care keeps children connected to family, culture, and love—but it also comes with challenges that too often go unseen. This project will shine a light on what helps families stay strong and what systems need to do better.”

The study will also maintain a high level of international relevance, with partner investigator Emeritus Professor Robbie Gilligan, from Trinity College Ireland, as a key academic partner.

This research will do more than describe the challenges, it will co-design tangible, practice-ready solutions drawn directly from the voices and experiences of children, young people, and their carers. By elevating lived experience as a source of wisdom, the project aims to inform national policy, reshape practice frameworks, and strengthen the systems that hold kinship families together.

Ultimately, this work is about more than care, it is about belonging, continuity, and hope for the next generation of children raised within family networks of love and resilience. The project is set to commence in January 2026.

The research team includes: Professor Lynne McPherson, Professor Stuart Barlo, Dr Kylie Day, Dr Emily Hindman, Dr Antonia Canosa (SCU); A/Professor Janise Mitchell & Dr Kelly Royds (ACF); Professor Kathomi Gatwiri PhD (Flinders University); Emeritus Professor Robbie Gilligan (Trinity College, Dublin).

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gQw_KnnF

23/10/2025

Professor Lynne McPherson recently joined the CareConnect2025 conference in Brisbane, contributing her expertise in residential care, relational safety and children’s wellbeing. Her insights helped shape national conversations on how to improve the future of residential care in Queensland.

CareConnect2025 brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and lived experience advocates. Professor McPherson’s leadership in relational and trauma-informed practice was a vital part of this co-design process, reminding us that care is not just a service, but a relationship built on trust, dignity, and shared responsibility.

🔗 Learn more: careconnect2025.org.au

Southern Cross University
PeakCare Queensland

14/10/2025

Join us for the launch of Family Law 4 Kids!

Led by Associate Professor Georgina Dimopoulos the 'Family Law 4 Kids' online toolkit was co-designed by 41 children and young people to help others understand and exercise their rights when parents separate.

📅 Thursday 23 October 2025
📍 Attend online or in person at Southern Cross University Gold Coast Campus
🎤 Hear from young co-designers and National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds

This event celebrates youth voice, legal empowerment, and safer participation in family law. Don’t miss it!

Register here https://lnkd.in/gwCpKaRV

Address

Terminal Drive
Bilinga, QLD
4225

Website

http://ccyp.scu.edu.au/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University:

Shortcuts

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Bilinga?