Allendale East Area School Year 11 student Ava Gollan-Grosvenor and school captain Luke Bald have been selected to participate in the Rural Youth Ambassadors Program 2022.

It is a specific state-wide program focused on senior school students and aimed at increasing the voice of young people in rural and remote areas within their own local communities, governments, and education settings.

This year’s South Australian group is the biggest to date, with 21 students participating in the program.

The students meet in Adelaide four times throughout the year to talk about key issues and problems they face unique to regional schools to try to make a difference and get the best education possible.

The four key issues identified this year were teacher unavailability, lack of opportunities, mental health issues and sparse subject choice.

Mr Bald said it was a unique opportunity full of experiences he would not receive otherwise.

“We have been lucky to meet a lot of new people who have been really supportive, welcoming and easy to get along with,” he said.

“They were supportive of whatever issue we brought up even if they did not have it at their school, however every issue we shared someone could relate to.

“We will continue to further discuss the main issues, continue to build on them and work to see if we can create a solution.

“I look forward to building on these issues because I think with all of us working together we can really make a difference.”