Meet the team!
Meet the members of our Youth Development Team and find out what they do to support young people in the community.
Dudu Orman (she/her) – Coordinator Youth Development
Dudu supports the Youth Development Team to achieve positive outcomes for young people who live, study, or have connections to Yarra Ranges. Dudu is a kind and funny person who is passionate about the voices of young people being included in Council’s decision-making processes.
Jayde Petrie (she/her) – Youth Development Officer
Jayde coordinates our Youth Ambassadors and Youth Advisory Group (YAG), alongside our Engage! events that you may see popping up. Jayde is a big advocate for youth voice within and outside of Council and really believes in the power young people hold. She is a passionate change-maker and is always up for a chat about how we can better co-design, and champion youth spaces and input.
Sophie Farinacci – Youth Development Officer
Sophie coordinates the Defrosted Events program, supporting young people to put on events, in their local communities! Sophie is passionate about co-design and community connection as a tool to empower young people and mobilise their voices. Sophie prides themselves on the great snacks they pick for Defrosted Events Committee Meetings and is a big fan of a funky icebreaker.
Steve D’Abico (he/him) – L2P Coordinator
Steve coordinates the TAC L2P program, matching eligible learner drivers with volunteer mentors and a practice vehicle to help them achieve their 120 hours of driving practice to get their licence. Steve is a passionate road safety advocate, dedicated to improving access and connection for young people in the Yarra Ranges.
Ben Schatz (he/him) – School Focused Youth Service Coordinator
Ben works alongside Emily coordinating the School Focused Youth Service program. Ben is passionate about young people's education, rights, and workplace safety. He is also our Health and Safety Representative, and loves supporting young people to speak up for themselves and their rights.
Our Youth Plan
Every four years, Yarra Ranges Council and the Youth Development Team work together with young people from the community to develop a Youth Plan. This plan provides a strategic approach for Council and local organisations, schools, and community members to identify and respond to priority areas for young people and their families.
Our latest Youth Plan (2021-2023) was developed as an interim document in response to the rapidly changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout 2024-2025, we are developing a new Youth Plan that focuses on responding to issues as identified by young people in our community.
Yarra Ranges Youth Plan 2021-2023
2023 Youth Survey
Our 2023 Youth Advisory Group (YAG)’s lead a major project of designing, delivering, and evaluating a Youth Survey. This survey focused on the experiences of young people living, learning, working, and playing in the Yarra Ranges, and identifying the key issues they were experiencing at the time.
This survey informs key policy at Council as a valued insight into a historically underrepresented population. The learnings from this survey have helped shape our newly developing Youth Plan.
Youth Survey 2023