Photo of Louise Grant - standing in front of foliage with an orange shirt.

Hi, I’m Louise

An inclusion engagement specialist
with a background in facilitation, training and community development.

I enable organisations to authentically engage with diverse people and create inclusive environments that foster mutual understanding and respect.

“You’ve truly shaped our work to be better than any of our expectations”

— Young person from the Victorian Youth Congress 2021

I’m a passionate advocate for inclusive engagement and authentic consultation.

I work with a diverse range of people whose voices are often underrepresented or hard to reach. My approach is collaborative and inclusive, encouraging people to work together to share their vision, identify solutions and create action.

I have a background in facilitation, training and community development, with a particular focus on empowering youth voice. I believe young people have unique perspectives and insights that are essential to creating meaningful change in our communities – but we must give them a proper seat in decision-making processes.

My expertise in inclusive engagement and consultation has been recognised by a range of organisations, with invitations to speak as a subject-matter expert at conferences and events across the country. My insights have been instrumental in shaping a range of youth policies and programs in state and local government settings.

A short bio…

My experience

I’ve been working in community development for over 13 years

Advisory groups

I’ve established and run various community and youth advisory groups across both state and local government settings, including setting up procedures, sourcing funding models and formulating strategy.

Facilitation and consultation

I started my career in youth groups and running play therapy sessions. Now a skilled facilitator, I have extensive experience facilitating consultations with the community on projects, strategies and infrastructure.

Community development

With a background in social work and community development, I have worked across both government and non-profit organisations to advocate and empower people in their community.

Youth-led empowerment

When I was young, I worked across a range of youth-led organisations. Now, I understand what youth-driven work looks like and how to provide authentic opportunities that enable young people to succeed

Qualifications

  • RMIT

    Focus on:

    • youth issues internationally

    • dynamics of power imbalances

    • consulting hard-to-reach voices

    Final Masters project: how to authentically run youth advisory groups in governments

  • RMIT

    Placements include:

  • RMIT

My philosophy

Guiding principles that drive my work.

I build genuine relationships by cultivating trust, authenticity and caring about the people I work with.

I have a strengths-based and intersectional approach – recognising the nuances and resilience of people’s identities and experiences. I am energised by projects that bring authentic and diverse youth voice into places of power.

I recognise the limitations of my own perspective and embed a practice of continuous learning, reflection and deep listening.

I have a deep sense of justice, fairness and equality; everyone should be supported and have opportunities to thrive.

authentic • inclusive • intersectional • reflective

“I really appreciate your constant support, it has helped me grow as a person and professionally”

— Young person from the Victorian Youth Congress 2018