The Health Hive is a newly launched online space that equips young people with the skills to meaningfully contribute to research.
Emma Soo, Kay Connor, Megan Keller, Jasmeh Kaur, and Julian Vaz, supported by Allyson Todd, Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani, and Dr Stephanie Partridge
Research helps us solve mysteries and challenges by diving deep into questions, gathering data, and piecing together answers that can change our understanding of the world.
It can also help us to challenge assumptions and uncover new perspectives, discoveries or solutions that can make a real difference.
As young people, we are often first exposed to research and science during school assignments, searching the internet to find information or conducting science experiments and writing reports of our discoveries.
Now, with more open-access research publications available to us, we are increasingly connected to the latest research.
Outside school, opportunities to participate in research beyond being ‘study participants’ have started to increase through the establishment of youth advisory groups across governments, health departments, and universities.
Young people have the potential to significantly enrich research both as study participants and co-researchers, particularly on topics concerning us.
As a group of 16–23-year-olds, we’ve recently joined the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health as Peer Facilitators.
We’re employed to support a Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF) Consumer-Led Grant that aims to build capacity in young people, so we can meaningfully contribute to public health research about us.
Despite increasing demand for youth and lived experience advisors, not all opportunities are accessible for young people to participate in.
When people think of youth engagement, they often picture confident youth leaders and advocates, as they tend to be the most visible. But this public-facing role isn’t suited to everyone.
There is a need for multiple pathways that allow young people to participate in ways that are comfortable for them and align with their maturity, skills, and abilities. It is the combination of engagement at different levels that will have the most impact.
Flexibility is needed to accommodate school schedules, and opportunities need to be promoted more widely among young people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.
We want multiple ways to be involved – whether that be more passive, such as completing surveys, or more active, like co-designing health interventions or polices.
We have expertise that is unique to our generation. However, we are often ignored within adult-dominated fields, like academia and research, and wish to be given opportunities to contribute to research and decision making that impacts us and aligns with our needs and priorities.
Within the first few months in our new roles, we have learnt that young people who are engaged through discussions and have the support of trusted mentors can delve deeper into important issues, leading to a better mutual understanding.
It also offers young people the chance to provide direct feedback on policies that affect them, creating a pathway for continuous improvement and meaningful engagement. For example, we recently contributed to the PHAA Youth Health Wellbeing policy position statement.
Our involvement in research ensures that solutions are relevant, innovative, and reflect the needs of young people and our aspirations for a healthy future.
To make it easier for young people to get involved, we are launching the ‘Health Hive’ – an inclusive online space aiming to equip young people with the skills to meaningfully contribute to research that impacts them.
The Health Hive aims to be a thriving online community, bridging the gap between young people and academia across Australia.
We are co-creating online resources that will be accessible through a variety of learning strategies including short interactive videos, written summaries, and blogs, with the intention of promoting research and skill building opportunities for young people.
Our team is committed to fostering diverse opportunities for young people to engage in public health research, whether as a research assistants, co-researchers in opportunities such as the Health Advisory Panel for Youth at the University of Sydney (HAPYUS), or as study participants through surveys, focus groups, and clinical trials.
Youth participation is essential to create a future that is inclusive, progressive, and where we can all realise our full potential.
You can access our map of youth advisory groups across Australia here to find opportunities near you. The map was developed by Amani Fuad and Jackie Kwong, Master of Nutrition and Dietetics students at The University of Sydney.
Emma Soo, Kay Connor, Megan Keller, Jasmeh Kaur and Julian Vaz are young people and employed as Peer Facilitators and are funded by a MRFF Consumer-led Grant (#2023165). Allyson Todd is a PhD Candidate and Research Officer. Dr Stephanie Partridge is a Senior Research Fellow. All are from the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney. Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani is a Research Officer from Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences at Macquarie University.
Image: Health Hive logo; USYD peer facilitators (back row, L to R): Megan Keller, Emma Soo, Jasmeh Kaur, Kay Connor, (front row): Julian Vaz.
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