Applications have opened for the 2026 Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, which gives young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders the chance to develop leadership skills and take part in the Eric Deeral Indigenous Youth Parliament.
The seven-day program is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 to 25 and will bring successful applicants to Brisbane for a week in December.
Participants will work on leadership skills, community projects and career development while learning how they can create change in their communities.
Among the program's recent participants is Wiradjuri woman, Teagan Olssen, who took part in 2025 before being elected Youth Member for Redlands and Sponsoring Minister for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Committee in the 2026 Queensland Youth Parliament.
Ms Olssen has also been selected to contribute to the first update of Australia's National First Nations Education Policy since 1989.
She credited the leadership program with helping her build confidence and pursue further opportunities.
"It helped me build the confidence to network, speak up and take on opportunities that align with my values and goals," Ms Olssen said.
"It really set the foundation for everything I've stepped into this year."
A key part of the program is the Eric Deeral Indigenous Youth Parliament, which gives participants experience inside Queensland Parliament.
The youth parliament is named after Eric Deeral, who in 1974 became the first Aboriginal person elected to a state parliament in Australia when he became the National Party Member for Cook in Far North Queensland.
Mr Deeral became known for advocating for communities in the Far North, including improvements to roads, schools and health facilities.
The Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program has supported more than 780 young people since 2004, with some former participants later returning as mentors and program facilitators.
Queensland Minister for Youth, Sam O'Connor, said the program aimed to build the skills and confidence of young people from across Queensland.
"This is a life-changing program that builds the connections, skills and confidence these young Queenslanders will use to create lasting change in our communities across Queensland," Mr O'Connor said.
Queelsnand Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Fiona Simpson, said Mr Deeral's leadership continued to influence the program.
"Eric Deeral was a powerful leader for his community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples more broadly," Ms Simpson said.
"As a local MP, he advocated tirelessly for better roads in North Queensland to allow tourism and other industries to flourish, and he ensured improvements were made to schools and health facilities.
"In 2012, as Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, I had the honour of formally acknowledging Eric Deeral's service at a ceremony held on his land in Hope Vale, where we also sought his permission to rename the Indigenous Youth Parliament after him."
Ms Simpson said the program continued to carry Mr Deeral's legacy.
"He was a great role model for all - and his legacy continues to live on today, inspiring the next generation through the Indigenous Youth Parliament," she said.
Nominations for the 2026 Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program can be submitted through the Queensland Government's website.
