Ararat x Crazy Ideas College: Regenerating Place Through Young People

As communities look to the future, regional towns like Ararat face both challenge and opportunity. Like many rural areas, Ararat has contended with disengaged young people, fragmented pathways from school to work, and underused talent in its own backyard.

Since 2021, Crazy Ideas College (CIC) has partnered with Ararat Rural City Council to change that narrative, unleashing young people as civic and economic contributors while helping the whole community imagine new possibilities.

Our partnership does more than deliver programs. It brings together local government, schools, businesses, and community organisations around a shared vision: a future in which young people are central to the vitality, renewal, and resilience of the region.

The Challenge

Ararat Rural City Council needed a partner who could act quickly, deliver with credibility, and help align youth development with broader social and economic renewal. At the time, the Council had no dedicated youth function and limited internal capacity to lead a coordinated strategy.

Like many regional communities, Ararat faced:

• Talent pipeline challenges across local industries
• Disengagement among young people
• Weak connection between schools, business, and civic life

Council leaders wanted to invest in young people, not only for their wellbeing, but as a key part of the region’s future.

The CIC Solution

CIC brought a system-wide approach rooted in local relevance. Rather than offering a static set of programs we created the Ararat Youth Activators (AYA) initiative which is at the centre of an ecosystem that:

• Builds trust and confidence by starting with relationships — across schools, employers, civic leaders, and families.
• Creates a graduated experience that invites young people back year after year to build skills, agency, and leadership.
• Connects sectors so that businesses, local government, and community organisations actively co-create experiences with young people.
• Unleashes the genius of young people to develop real-world projects, credentials, and contributions to their town.

Our approach ensures that young people don’t just attend programs, they shape what it means to grow up and contribute in Ararat.

“We’re proud to partner with CIC to deliver programs that empower our young people to make a real difference in the community. These initiatives help them develop crucial leadership skills, ensuring they have a strong voice in shaping our region’s future.” Dr. Tim Harrison, CEO, Ararat Rural City Council

The initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when new and creative ways for young people to build skills and participate in civic and economic life are designed and implemented.

AYA leverages the power of a collaborative and integrated approach. It was designed and staged in accordance with the CIC framework, which focuses on having young people:

Meet Maiara

A glimpse into what’s possible when bold ideas meet real opportunities

Maiara, a Year 10 student at Marian College with ambitions to become a film director and actor, joined the First Jobs Matter (FJM) program in 2024. This one-day, high-impact experience is designed to help young people clarify their goals, sharpen their skill sets, and connect directly with local employers who can help turn their aspirations into action.

Delivered as part of CIC’s regional Place partnerships, FJM flips the traditional careers conversation. Instead of just talking about future jobs, young people get to pitch their vision, strengths and value to real-world employment partners, local employers who are ready to back emerging talent in meaningful ways.

Maiara stepped up and shared her story with clarity and conviction. One of the people listening closely was Paula Davidson, HR Business Partner at Ararat Rural City Council. Paula saw not just potential, but readiness.

“I mentioned that I was interested in doing paid work since I already volunteer… After hearing my pitch, she suggested that we might be able to work something out where I could get paid for the work I’m already doing. She gave me her card, and I reached out.” Maiara, Year 10 student

What followed was a direct result of the trust, visibility and fast-track connection that FJM makes possible. Over the summer break, Maiara took on paid work with the Council, shifting from volunteer to valued contributor inside local government.

Her story is more than a personal win. It’s a clear demonstration of what happens when communities invest in young people as local talent, not future problems to fix. It shows how the right conditions, targeted programs, aligned partnerships, and genuine belief in young people, can create powerful ripple effects for individuals, institutions, and regions.

FJM is part of CIC’s broader Place strategy to help Councils strengthen civic fabric, activate local talent, and build future-fit economies from the inside out.

Why it Matters

When young people are seen as community assets, not just future workers, bold things start to happen. They dream bigger. They build new skills. They form the kinds of relationships that unlock opportunity. But this doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when communities actively create the conditions for young people to lead, contribute, and stay.

That’s exactly what the AYA initiative is doing in Ararat.

Key Outcomes

A surge of talent driving Ararat’s future Hundreds of young people have taken part in real-world, future-focused experiences, designing ideas, solving community challenges, and building the mindsets and capabilities needed to thrive. They’ve been connected to local employers, paid work, and leadership roles, fuelling a pipeline of thinkers, makers, and doers ready to power Ararat’s next chapter.

Youth development embedded in strategy, not sidelined Ararat Rural City Council is now recognised as a bold, future-focused leader, embedding young people into economic and civic life through a clear, visible commitment. This work is no longer a siloed youth initiative. It’s core to how Council thinks about prosperity, liveability, and regional growth.

Cross-sector collaboration driving real-world outcomes Local businesses and community organisations are no longer on the sidelines, they’re co-designing and delivering alongside young people. Together, they’re demonstrating what’s possible when a community treats young people as contributors, not just recipients.

The Place Effect in Action

Ararat Rural City Council’s investment in young people is doing more than ticking boxes, it’s positioning the region as a bold, nationally recognised example of place-based regeneration.

“It’s not just about programs, it’s a system-wide approach that changes the experience of being young in this town.” Kieran Murrihy, CIC Founder

Through a deep partnership with CIC, hundreds of young people have stepped into vibrant, future-focused experiences, each designed to spark real-world action, grow capability, and strengthen their sense of belonging and contribution.

From primary school students leading school-wide change through Lead4Impact, to secondary students designing powerful community solutions, testing ideas, exploring careers, and anchoring in their values, this work has been about unleashing the talent that already exists in the region.

Together with schools, businesses and community partners, Ararat is building a pipeline of local talent, care and contribution, with young people not waiting their turn, but leading the way.