Adolescence is an important time for all young people to explore and establish their personal and social identities. In authentic portrayals of teens on screen, young people see characters navigating relatable issues. Co-viewing this content opens opportunities for dialogue among families, enabling teens to consolidate their understandings, share their ideas and ask questions.

The organiser of the Australian Children's Content Summit promised that “it will be like school camp for the children’s screen industry”. As ACTF CEO Jenny Buckland reflects, the inaugural Summit delievered on all its original expectations in spades, leaving attendees much to think about.

How can we best support the education, wellbeing and development of Australia’s children? The ACTF recently joined representatives from a broad range of organisations to consider this question and provide recommendations which will inform the Australian Government’s forthcoming Early Years Strategy.

Screen content that accurately and authentically reflects the modern-day adolescent experience has never been as important as it is right now as so many teenagers battle mental health issues.

As the ACTF’s Development Manager working on Barrumbi Kids, I had the honour of being able to visit the communities and attend the first screenings of the series, as the people on whose lands the show was filmed, and who helped bring its story to life, experienced seeing it on screen for the first time.

Both the picture book and the My Place television series have become embedded texts in Australian classrooms, capturing the imaginations of students and teachers alike. ACTF National Curriculum Manager Janine Kelly explores the educational legacy of the My Place story.