Our 2025 Keynote Speaker
Each year we invite leading thinkers and people passionate about education
to open the Kids' Conference and to participate in the presentations.
In this way the Kids' Conference becomes part of the wider dialogue in education,
supporting new ideas and insights from the student perspective.
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Prof Pasi Sahlberg Facilitator
Pasi is a member of the Kids' Conference committee. He is a Finnish teacher, award-winning author, and global thought-leader who has helped governments around the world to improve their schools. He has worked for the Finnish Government, World Bank, European Commission, and several universities as an education expert. Pasi has received several awards for his work on improving education, his favourite being the 2016 Lego Prize in Denmark. His books are translated into 30 languages. Three years ago, Pasi wrote a book titled “Let the Children Play: How more play can save our schools and help children thrive” that has become influential in returning play back to schools. Pasi is a Professor of Educational Leadership at the Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne.
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Dr Sandra Iuliano
Antarctic Researcher, The University of Melbourne
Sandra is a nutritionist with an interest in the role of nutrition on bone, including the effect of vitamin D deficiency on bone. She was able to research this by studying expeditioners when they remain in Antarctica over winter. During this time Antarctica remains in nearly complete darkness with no opportunity for sunlight exposure which is how we produce vitamin D. She measured the bone density of expeditioners before they left for Antarctica and when they returned and took blood samples to monitor their vitamin D levels and other biomarkers of bone health. From this research she developed a protocol for vitamin D supplementation to help maintain bone health of expeditioners can
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Dr Taimoor Sohail
Antarctic Researcher, The University of Melbourne
Taimoor is a climate scientist and oceanographer who studies how climate change will impact Antarctic ice melting in the future. Taimoor explores how the Southern Ocean, the ocean around Antarctica, is warming up and changing, and what the impact of this change will be on the ice around Antarctica.Taimoor uses machine learning, climate models, and ocean observations to understand the growing impacts of climate change in this vulnerable region.
Prof Kathryn Mumford
Antarctic Researcher, The University of Melbourne
Kathryn is a chemical engineer who has been working to clean up Antarctica. Kathryn developed a system for the use of controlled release fertiliser products to enhance the biodegradation of containment hydrocarbons in Antarctica which is considered ‘best practice’ for clean up of Antarctic research stations.
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Nadia Abdelal Kids’ Conference Australia 2024 Keynote:
Nadia Abdelal is a seasoned mathematics educator, writer, editor, presenter and coach, with nearly two decades of teaching expertise. Her passion for mathematics shines through her extensive contributions to the field, including authoring and overseeing multiple educational resources. Nadia's impact spans over eight years as a specialist in maths education, collaborating with primary and secondary schools nationwide. Renowned for her innovative teaching methods, she prioritises conceptual understanding and inclusivity, tailoring her approaches to diverse classroom settings. As the CEO and Founder of EM Maths Consulting, Nadia champions discourse on effective teaching strategies, furthering mathematics education across Australia.
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Jess Rowlings & Dr. Matt Harrison Kids’ Conference Australia 2023 Keynotes: Jess Rowlings is a speech pathologist and researcher at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. She is the co-founder and CEO of Next Level Collaboration. Jess was diagnosed with autism and ADHD as an adult. Dr. Matthew Harrison is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in neurodiversity, technology and inclusive education at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. Both Jess and Matt are proud gamers and are passionate about using gaming for good.
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Maggie Favretti Kids' Conference Las Americas 2023 Keynote:
If Nature Designed School. Maggie Favretti works with youth and colleagues to democratize and deepen learning and to build agency for transformative systemic changemaking. In her new book, Learning in the Age of Climate Disasters (Routledge 2023), Maggie outlines the contexts and causes of "futurephobia" and then offers Regenerative Learning strategies rooted in nature's principles for repair and redesign. Maggie's next steps include contributing to the regeneration of teaching, as well as Earth and Indigenous rights activism. She plans to keep asking, "what kind of ancestor will I be?
Professor Pasi Sahlberg Kids' Conference Australia 2022 Keynote. Pasi is a Finnish teacher, award-winning author, and global thought-leader who has helped governments around the world to improve their schools. He has worked for the Finnish Government, World Bank, European Commission, and several universities as an education expert. Pasi has received several awards for his work on improving education, his favourite being the 2016 Lego Prize in Denmark. His books are translated into 30 languages. Three years ago, Pasi wrote a book titled “Let the Children Play: How more play can save our schools and help children thrive” that has become influential in returning play back to schools. He is Professor of Education at the Southern Cross University in Lismore. Pasi lives in Lennox Head, NSW, with his wife and two sons.
Gillian Basnett Kids' Conference Australia 2021 Guest Speaker. Gill is an ecologist with a in community engagement, science communication, Landcare and natural resource management with extensive experience in wildlife ecology and management and fire ecology. She has spent much of her career in positions that improve environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture through research, hands-on field work, education, engagement and empowerment of the community to take action, particularly kids. Gill’s current role is the National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordinator with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions where she aims to improve peoples understanding of the impacts of feral cats and foxes, how to best manage them and forming networks and partnerships between farmers, researchers, community and environment groups, councils, organisations, businesses, and government agencies. By working together, we can make a difference.
Taylah Gray Kids' Conference Australia 2021 Keynote
Taylah is a Criminal Defence Lawyer at Aboriginal Legal Service and a lecturer in Law at Newcastle University
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Emma Shortis Kids' Conference Australia 2021 Keynote
Emma is Research Fellow at the European Union Centre of Excellence in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. A historian by training, Emma’s research interests include global environmental governance, environmental history and diplomacy, and the relationship between history and climate change adaptation and mitigation. In 2017-18, Emma was a Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University. Her first book, Our Exceptional Friend: Australia's fatal alliance with the United States, was published in August 2021 by Hardie Grant Books.
Associate Professor Duane Hamacher The University of Melbourne
Kids’ Conference Melbourne 2019 Keynote
Duane Hamacher is an Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at The University of Melbourne. He is also part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D. He works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders and communities to learn about their astronomical knowledge and teachings, and mentors and supports Indigenous students pursuing studies in astronomy, physics, and space science.
Associate Professor Melissa Langdon Edith Cowan University Kids' Conference Melbourne 2019 Guest Speaker
Melissa is an academic and media commentator on enabling education, women at work and social innovation. She has been a keynote speaker at national and international conferences including TEDxPerth, EduTech, Behind Closed Doors and the Social Impact Festival, and was a 2018 Women in Technology WA “20 in 20” Award Winner. Melissa is the founder of BOSSMAMA - a consultancy and social network that supports women at work and helps businesses achieve gender equity. She has extensive leadership experience in the areas of learning and teaching, tertiary pathways and partnerships through academic, federal and state government roles and currently manager of the Academic Pathways Program at Edith Cowan University.
Kate Smith-Miles
Professor of Mathematics
The University of Melbourne
Keynote 2018
"I've always loved the beauty of maths. Mathematics is just as important for everyday decision making today as it has been through history. For everything from making the best financial investments to minimising travel time using Google maps, maths helps us to make the most optimal decisions.
I'm very excited that in 2019 the Kids' Conference will be seeking some great new maths projects."
Sir Ken Robinson
World renowned educationist
Keynote 2015
“The real way to energise education, to engage young people properly in education and to prepare them for the world they live in, is to promote forms of education that celebrate curiosity, imagination and creative problem-solving – and that’s really what the Kids’ Conference is about,” Sir Ken Robinson speaking at the Kids' Conference 2015
If you would like to recommend an inspirational keynote presenter or a key leader to be invited to attend the conference
please be in touch
Anabelle Smith
Olympic Diver
Keynote 2016
"Our passion sustains us.
We succeed through finding our passion and talent.
I discovered my talent and applied myself to excel. The steps of the driving board are like your life goals and seeing the end of the diving board is the test of how far you can go"
How far could the Kids' Conference take you?
Watch our film to see how our past presenters have benefited from participating