Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) - Welcome
Acknowledgment of Country
Children's Voices Conference 2026
CVC2026 is an interdisciplinary international conference that provides a platform for sharing research about innovative methods, theories, and partnerships with children, families, and practitioners. It supports social justice both during childhood and in the childhood sector.
CVC2026 is organised by the Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Centre and is an opportunity to present research in a virtual online space. CVC2026 showcases the work of seven outstanding keynote presentations as well as 144 oral presentations.
- STREAM 1: Creating a more inclusive world for children: International interdisciplinary research
- STREAM 2: Children Draw Health Global Online Gallery
CVC2026 is held entirely online and asynchronously from 1–3 September 2026. There is no registration fee, and there are no fees to present or view the presentations.
Papers are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 10, and SDG 17.
Our hope is that this conference supports social justice during childhood and in the childhood sector across the world. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in organising, presenting, and participating in CVC2026. We particularly thank Professor Neena Mitter (Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research), who has championed our endeavours. Thank you, everyone.
Associate Professor Kathy Cologon, Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod, and Associate Professor Tamara Cumming
Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Conference 2026 Conference Co-chairs
Dr Carolyn Gregoric
Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Conference 2026 Conference Secretary
Emma Hayes
Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Conference 2026 Conference Administrator
Conference Proceedings Book
Download Here
PDF, 2.51MB
Keynote Speakers
1. Amplifying the voices of children with disabilities in the health sector: An overview of WHO initiatives
Dr Mélanie Gréaux
World Health Organization, Switzerland
2. Leaving no child behind: Global trends and transformative actions in early childhood development and parenting support
Dr Chemba Raghavan UNICEF Global Center of Excellence, Nairobi, Kenya
3. Beyond Fauxclusion: Generative listening for an inclusive world
Dr Zinnia Mevawalla University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
4. Weaving play into the national fabric: What can we learn from international leaders in children’s right to play?
Robyn Monro Miller AM
Play Australia (IPA Australia Inc), Australia
5. Stories that shape us: ABC Kids Early Education and the power of reflective media engagement
Laura Stone
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Kids, Australia
7.
Panel 1: Children’s perspectives on the Australian Disability Discrimination Act: Barriers, fairness and belonging
Panel 2: Child friendly healthcare: Children’s perspectives from the Children Draw Health project
Children’s Advisory Group with Associate Professor Kathy Cologon
Charles Sturt University Children’s Voices Centre
Children's Voices Conference: International interdisciplinary research
Presentations By Topics
- All
- Children's communication
- Children's health and disability
- Children's inclusion
- Children's learning and activities
- Children's rights, voices, and perspectives
- Children's services workforce and policy
- Presentations
- All
- Children's communication
- Children's health and disability
- Children's inclusion
- Children's learning and activities
- Children's rights, voices, and perspectives
- Children's services workforce and policy
- Presentations
CVC2026-726 – The impact of climate change on the development of children in Greece: A narrative review of communication, education, play, and place experiences
Evangelia Kyritsi, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
CVC2026-727 – Capturing children’s voices to inform child-centred outcomes in paediatric hearing care
Ella Boyce, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia; Emma Webb, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia; Rachel Parker, Murdoch Children’s Research ...
CVC2026-728 – Voices unheard: Early childhood classroom through a critical lens
Sukanya Singh, Amity University, India; Vishal Kumar, Adamas University, India
CVC2026-729 – Children’s voices in communication: Linking subjective experiences, drawings, and neural measures
Ruochen Ning, University of Toronto, Canada; Nicole Bazzocchi, University of Toronto, Canada; Karla Washington, University of Toronto, Canada
CVC2026-730 – Towards consistent standards for assessing the severity of speech disorders in children: An analysis of diagnostic practices of Polish speech therapists
Zuzanna Kaszkur, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Poland; Dominika Jakubiak, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Poland
CVC2026-731 – Right to information and participation in children’s digital journalism: A comparative study between Portugal and Brazil
Ana Cátia Ferreira, Fernando Pessoa University, Portugal; Juliana Doretto, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil
CVC2026-732 – “The mighty six”: Drawing on children’s participation rights to (re)imagine physical education and physical activity experiences with autistic students
Stella Gkegka, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom; Pum Dunbar, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
CVC2026-733 – Changing how children speak: Effects of syntactic intervention on spontaneous language in autism spectrum disorder
Mafalda Azevedo, RISE.Health, Portugal; Alexandrina Martins, University of Lisbon, Portugal; Marisa Lousada, RISE.Health; University of Aveiro, Portugal
CVC2026-734 – The right to musical knowledge: Curricular policies and music education in local Brazilian public schools
Valter Junior, Universidade Federal de São Paulo – UNIFESP, Brazil
CVC2026-735 – Play “makes the world happy”: Children’s voices about play in the world
Belinda Downey, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Kate Friere, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Van H. Tran, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Katrina Gersbach, Charles Sturt University, Australia; ...
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The work of the Children’s Voices Centre supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 8, 10, 17 (and others). Each CVC2026 presentation will be aligned with relevant SDGs.
Children’s Voices Global Online Gallery
Children are invited to share their ideas about belonging by creating drawings, artwork, podcasts or postcards about being together, feeling included, or being part of something. Submitted works will be displayed in a global online gallery. To submit a child’s work, please use the online submission forms here: