Aussie Joins International Youth Foundation

Australian Social entrepreneur and passionate advocate for young people’s active role in society, Adam Smith, has joined the Board of the International Youth Foundation (IYF), a global organisation focused on the positive development of children and youth.

Smith is the founder of Directing Potential, a social enterprise established in 2001 to maximise the potential of Australia’s youth.

This has enabled Smith to engage with more than 10,000 young Australians and those working within the local youth and education sectors.

He was recently appointed as Deputy Chairperson of the Foundation for Young Australians, a member of IYF’s Global Partner Network of youth-serving NGOs.

Smith’s dedication as a youth leader has taken him around the world. He has worked with the Coalition for the Homeless in New York and held the position of Australia’s Youth Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2003.

Smith who is 24 years of age says he believes the world should not be bound by roles, rules and responsibilities determined only by chronological age.

He says young people can be active agents for both change and sustainable development in their own communities – if given the chance.

He says the International Youth Foundation, through its network of partners and programs, gives youth just this chance and he’s honoured to now be a part of such a far-reaching organisation.

The current IYF board is made up of an international group of business, government and civil society leaders committed to address the challenges facing today’s young people. Board members come from Brazil, Finland, Jordan, the Philippines, Switzerland, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States, and now Australia.

David Bell, the Chair of the IYF Board and Chairman of the Financial Times Group says given Smith’s outstanding advocacy work in the area of education reform, his keen understanding of the issues impacting young people today, and his commitment to ensure that the youth perspective is recognised and valued, asking Adam to join our IYF governing board was a natural choice.

Smith has held a number of senior positions within Government and the Not for Profit sector and has developed and implemented a range of effective programs to engage, challenge and inspire young people and the communities around them.

He is currently a trustee of the Skills Plus Youth Foundation and has held positions on the Adult, Community and Further Education Board. Smith is an Australia Day Ambassador, recipient of the 2004 Celebrating Melbourne Award for his outstanding contribution to Victoria’s youth sector and has been nominated three times as Young Australian of the Year.

The IYF Board is represented by:
Sir David Bell, Chair (United Kingdom), Chairman, Financial Times Group
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah (Jordan), Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom
Sari Baldauf (Finland), Former Exec. Vice President & General Manager, Networks, Nokia Corp.
Douglas L. Becker, Vice Chair (United States), Chairman and CEO of Laureate Education Inc.
Maria Livanos Cattaui (Switzerland), Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce
Rick Little (United States of America), President and Founder, ImagineNations Group
Helio Mattar (Brazil), President of the Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption
Dr. Penina Mlama (Tanzania), Executive Director, Forum for African Women Educationalists
William S. Reese, President and CEO, International Youth Foundation
Hon. Richard F. Schubert, Chairman Emeritus (United States of America), Vice Chairman, Peter F. Drucker Foundation
Adam Smith (Australia), Founder of Directing Potential; Social Entrepreneur