the map village street editors

A group of young Australians have been working together to create a series of light bulb moments, which will illuminate the way for change. Bright Young Minds (BYM) is a non-profit organization that supports young Australians committed to making a positive difference to the social landscape of Australia and the world. Focusing on youth empowerment, social diversity and ambitious goal-setting, BYM brings 100 of the country’s top leaders, aged 18 to 25, together in an annual BYM Summit, where they put their heads together brainstorm new and exciting initiatives to provide innovative solutions to social problems. Australia’s second annual BYM Summit was held at the start of this month and featured high-profile speakers such as Tim Costello (CEO of World Vision), David Bussau (CEO of Opportunity International) and Anne Maree Huxley (Director of MOSS). Exciting initiatives that are currently being planned include: Oink – an online financial literacy education program for children and The End of Charity - a program for providing jobs, business skills and microfinancing to impoverished communities in Africa. A wonderful and adventurous initiative that is currently underway from last year’s summit includes The Bipolar Expedition, which is an expedition to the North and South Poles by sufferers of bipolar disorder to raise money for research and raise awareness of the issue in the wider community.