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
CVC2026-621 – Belonging is not the same for everyone: Children’s diverse
experiences of inclusion in mentally healthy schools; Kim Andreassen, Curtin University, Australia; Nicole Sips, Curtin University, Australia; Sharyn Burns, Curtin University, Australia
CVC2026-622 – Children draw playing: Insights from 101 children in Mongolia
Carolyn Gregoric, Children’s Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Sharynne McLeod, Children’s Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Belinda Downey, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Laura ...
CVC2026-623 – Intelligibility in Context Scale: A speech screening tool for kindergarten students in Tasmania
Sharynne McLeod, Children’s Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Sarah Verdon, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Felicity Laurence, Catholic Education Tasmania, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Lisa ...
CVC2026-624 – Artificial intelligence and communication disorders: Enhancing access to language assessment for multilingual children
Insiya Bhalloo, University of Alberta, Canada; Andrea MacLeod, University of Alberta, Canada
CVC2026-625 – Characteristics of speech production and lexical use in toddlers: A play environment with a dog compared to a play environment with a doll
Gitit Mor-Itzhakniya, University of Haifa. Ono Academic College, Israel; Gila Tubul-Lavy, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel
CVC2026-626 – Preparing to protect? Early career nurses’ engagement with mandatory reporting of child maltreatment in Australia: Preliminary results/findings from a qualitative study
Sarah Stenson, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Julian Grant, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Angela Fenton, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Allison Hutton, Western Sydney University, Australia
CVC2026-627 – Involving children who stutter or clutter and their parents in speech-language pathology education
Amy Connery, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
CVC2026-628 – Between mistrust and engagement: Supporting participation of Roma children in Poland – A literature review
Paulina Domek, SWPS University, Ombudsperson for Children Office, Poland
CVC2026-629 – Using storytelling to support children’s engagement in a local government community consultation project
Felicity Dunn, eQIPd, Australia
CVC2026-630 – Sustaining children’s scientific literacy in the early years: A four-phase framework for educators
Goutam Roy, Charles Sturt University, Australia; Shukla Sikder, 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: