Children's Voices Conference 2026 (CVC2026)

This week we have hosted the Children's Voices Conference 2026 (CVC2026) at The Treehouse and online: https://childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains/2026/

CVC2026 Snapshot

Registrations

• 1,450 registrations | 64 countries and territories
• 196 individuals attended live launch (18 in person, 178 online from Australia, India, Thailand, Vietnam etc.) 

Presentations

• 7 keynotes (free online access)
• 2 streams (free online access)
• 144 oral presentations | 35 countries: 
  Creating a More Inclusive World for Children: International Interdisciplinary Research 
• 200 children's drawings: 
  Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries
• 5 yarning circles (free live + online access)
• Welcome to CVC2026 (free online access) by CSU Deputy Vice Chancellor Neena Mitter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379fUQwLtU4 
• Launch of CVC2026 (free live + online access) with CSU Vice Chancellor Renée Léon, Children’s Voices Centre Children’s Advisory Group with Associate Professor Kathy Cologon, and keynote speaker Dr Mélanie Gréaux, World Health Organization, Switzerland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3JZ6aS8Drg&t=1s (178 individuals online)
• Launch of Children Draw|Create|Share Belonging (free live event)

CVC committees

• 80+ affiliates and adjuncts from Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Centre

CVC2026 conference launch with the Vice Chancellor and CVC staff and affiliates (Photo: Amy Whitfield)

Some of our CVC staff and affiliates on the first morning of CVC2026 (Photo: Amy Whitfield)

 

Statistics - Video views (1-5 September 2026)

• 1,343 video views across all videos in the Children's Voices Conference 2026 playlist. Video views count from the moment a video starts to play.
• 151.4 total hours watched
• 6.46 minutes average view duration
• The launch video has had 130 views: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3JZ6aS8Drg&t=1s
• CVC-601 has had the 2nd highest views of 107 views: https://youtu.be/_HankKrLW6g

Registrations and attendees

1,450 registrations | 64 countries and territories: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong SAR of China, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Macau SAR of China, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.  

Live launch (1st September, 2026)  18 people attended in person with 178 who watched live online from across 20 countries: Australia, Canada, Fiji, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Macau SAR, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam (+ 130 who watched the recording during the week of the conference)

7 Keynotes

1. Dr Mélanie Gréaux, World Health Organization, Switzerland 
2. Dr Chemba Raghavan, UNICEF Global Center of Excellence, Nairobi, Kenya 
3. Dr Zinnia Mevawalla, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom 
4. Robyn Monro Miller AM, Play Australia (IPA Australia Inc), Australia 
5. Laura Stone, Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Kids, Australia 
6. Ella Simons, Future Council, Australia with Dr Lindsay Smith, Charles Sturt University, Australia
7. Children’s Voices Centre Children’s Advisory Group with Associate Professor Kathy Cologon, Charles Sturt University, Australia

 STREAM 1: Creating a more inclusive world for children: International interdisciplinary research  https://childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains/2026/

1. Children’s rights, voices, and perspectives 
2. Children’s inclusion 
3. Children’s communication 
4. Children’s learning and activities 
5. Children’s health and disability 
6. Children’s services workforce and policy 

STREAM 2: Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health
200 children from 18 countries (including 101 from Mongolia!)

1. What makes you healthy? 
2. Where do you go to get healthier? 
3. Who helps you be healthy? 
4. What your ideal hospital or health service looks like? 

LAUNCH: Children Draw|Share|Create Belonging

Children and families came to launch this new research initiative that aligns with the theme of CVC2026

Launch of Children Draw Belonging at The Treehouse (Photo: Amy Whitfield)

Yarning circles

1. Children’s Rights, Voices and Perspectives Yarning Circle (24 attendees)
2. Children’s Inclusion Yarning Circle (22 attendees)
3. Children’s Communication Yarning Circle (17 attendees)
4. Children’s Learning and Activities Yarning Circle (7 attendees)
5. Children’s Workforce and Policy Yarning Circle (10 attendees)
6. Children's Health and Disability Yarning Circle (12 attendees)

Live event

CVC staff, affiliates, adjuncts and HDR students came to Bathurst for to attend the live events associated with CVC2026.

• Book celebration (Monday) 
• Dinner (Monday) 
• Kangaroo walk on country (Tuesday) (6 attendees)
• Research pillars discussion (Tuesday)
• Live launch at TV studio (Tuesday) (18 attendees in person + 178 online) 
• Belonging launch (25 attendees - including 7 children)
• Dinner (Tuesday)
• Visiting scholar workshop (Wednesday) (15 attendees - 11 in person + 4 online)

THANK YOU 

Charles Sturt University Sponsors

• Professor Renée Leon (Vice-Chancellor)
• Professor Neena Mitter (Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research)
• Dr Mark Filmer (Office of Research and Graduate Studies)
• Dr Emmaline Lear (Office of Research Services and Graduate Studies)
• Jessica Harper (Office of the Vice-Chancellor)
• Bruce Andrews (Media)
• Elia Lazarakis (Legal Services)
• Simon McDonald (Spatial Analysis SPAN) 

Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Sponsors

• Professor Andrew Hope (Executive Dean), 
• Professor Matthew Winslade (Associate Dean Research)
• Kevin Ng (Technical Specialist Officer), Patrick McKenzie (Faculty Technical Manager), Janelle Bateman (Faculty Operations Team), Karl Shead (Technical Officer), Damian Moloney (Technical Specialist Officer) 
• Associate Professor Lena Danaia (Head, School of Education), 
• Ash Coleman (Faculty Executive Officer), Jennifer Morrison (Manager, Faculty Operations)

Children's Voices Centre staff, affiliates, adjuncts, HDRs
Conference Co-Chairs

• Associate Professor Kathy Cologon, Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod, Associate Professor Tamara Cumming, Children’s Voices Centre

Conference Secretary

• Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Children’s Voices Centre

Conference Administrator

• Emma Hayes, Children’s Voices Centre 

Digital Media Curator

• Amy Whitfield, Children’s Voices Centre

Organisation Committee

• Dr Carolyn Gregoric (Chair)

• A/Prof Kathy Cologon, A/Prof Kathryn Crowe, D/Prof Sharynne McLeod, Sarah Stenson 

Children’s Voices Committee

• Associate Professor Kathy Cologon (Chair)
• A/Prof Kathryn Crowe, Dr Kate Freire, Katrina Gersbach, Kasey Hillyar, Dr Marie Ireland, Janine Krecko, Holly McAlister, D/Prof Sharynne McLeod, Arifa Rahman, Dr Lindsay Smith, Sarah Stenson

Scientific Review Committee

• Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod and Associate Professor Tamara Cumming (Chairs)
• Dr Helen L. Blake, Sarah Bartlett, A/Prof Kathy Cologon, Associate Professor Kathryn Crowe, Dr Jessamy Davies, Dr Lysa Dealtry, Dr Belinda Downey, Dr Kate Freire, Dr Kasey Garrison Katrina Gersbach, Associate Professor Leanne Gibbs, Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Hannah Greig, Dr Jo Grimmond, Kasey Hillyar, Dr Laura Hoffman, Associate Professor Suzanne C. Hopf, Cyrena Hunt-Madden, Alam Hossain, Associate Professor Brendon Hyndman, Dr Marie Ireland, Janine Krecko, Dr Kate Margetson, Professor Jillian Marsh, Holly McAlister, Arifa Rahman, Associate Professor Mehdi Rassafiani, Dr Goutam Roy, Dr Shukla Sikder, Dr Lindsay Smith, Sarah Stenson, Professor Sarah Verdon, Dr Lucia Wuersch

Publications Committee

• Associate Professor Tamara Cumming (Chair)
• A/Prof Kathy Cologon, Dr Leanne Gibbs, A/Prof Suzanne C. Hopf, Alam Hossain, Associate Professor Brendon Hyndman, Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod, Arifa Rahman, Dr Goutam Roy, Dr Shukla Sikder, Professor Sarah Verdon

Promotion/Social Media Committee

• Associate Professor Kathy Cologon (Chair)
• Emma Hayes, Dr Marie Ireland, Janine Krecko, Dr Kate Margetson, Arifa Rahman

Participant Network and Fun Committee (including orgainsation of Yarning Circles)

• Sarah Bartlett and Dr Jo Grimmond (Co-Chairs)
• Dr Lysa Dealtry, Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Alam Hossain, Dr Shukla Sikder

Professional Recognition Committee

• Professor Sarah Verdon (Chair)
• Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Kasey Hillyar, Janine Krecko, Holly McAlister, Arifa Rahman

CVC 2026 Facebook group to keep the discussion going!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240093224084969 

CVC staff and affiliates outside The Treehouse (Photo: Amy Whitfield)