portfolio · mary-lynn huxford

project 01

✦ ywca tāmaki makaurau · youth engagement manager jan – sep 2025

y25 programme &
community engagement

led the youth engagement team and a strategic reset the ywca y25 youth leadership programme. co-designed two large-scale events centred on accessibility, indigenous practice, and youth-led participation. 25 new members added to the community, 50+ alumni re-engaged, and a digital community that consistently reached 2-3k monthly interactions from an account of 3.3k.

150+launch dinner attendees

100korganic views

50+alumni re-engaged

25new members

✦ about the y25 programme → ✦ the y25 instagram community →

engagement designevent design digital engagementco-design indigenous practicestaff management

what i delivered

led a reset of the y25 leadership programme, implementing feedback from 100+ community members to strengthen long-term community impact
co-designed and delivered two large-scale engagement events with advice from the indigenous advisory group and active alumni network. events: y25 launch dinner (150+) and multi-day retreat (30+). prioritised accessibility and youth-centred design throughout
engaged 25 new programme members and re-engaged 50+ alumni, growing active participation across the programme
recruited, supervised, and mentored two direct reports, building staff capability and strengthening participation practice across the organisation
reintroduced social media takeovers after community feedback. handed the platform directly to community members to speak in their own voice. we achieved 100k organic views and 2-3k monthly interactions from an account of 3.3k
launched a monthly email newsletter so young people knew what was happening in the organisation and how to get involved
maintained strategic relationships with alumni, funders, and community partners to strengthen programme impact
ensured indigenous-based practice, an intersectional lens, and core values were embedded across all youth engagement programmes
advised on the ywca's policy reset, providing best practice guidance on safeguarding and child protection policies

$6 Promises campaign graphic$ Hikoi with You Promised Now Deliver banner

project 02

✦ voyce – whakarongo mai · national youth participation advisor may 2023 – may 2024

6 promises
election campaign

a national advocacy campaign that brought care-experienced young people's voices directly into the 2023 general election conversation and beyond. the 6 promises, developed by young people in care and grounded in uncrc, sparked a 4,000+ signature petition, a hikoi to parliament, and eventually an oral submission at the petitions select committee, where youth stood before mps to demand accountability.

16campaign leaders

100+marched to parliament

4000+petition signatures

10youth speakers

✦ view the virtual gallery →

participation strategyadvocacy campaign designselect committee policy engagementelection youth voicelived experience

what i delivered

co-designed the 6 promises campaign in 2023 with the blessing of the original 2020 national youth council, bridging their founding work with voyce – whakarongo mai's current engaged community
recruited and developed 16 young leaders for the 2023 campaign
designed and facilitated six online sessions covering the history of the 6 promises, politics and elections 101, the care system in aotearoa, and co-designing the summit, hikoi, and political hotseat
led a multi-day wananga to prepare all 16 youth leaders for three public-facing events, ensuring every young person knew their role, their material, and felt ready to lead
coached young people as they crafted their speeches and questions to mps for the parliament step petition handover, youth summit, and political hotseat
advised on the select committee submission to the petitions committee, including the strategy and speaking points for the oral submission (9 may 2024)
supported the development of the 6 promises virtual gallery. this is a digital archive of the campaign journey, made in partnership with family for every child
translated complex policy into accessible, youth-friendly digital resources throughout the campaign

project 03

✦ voyce – whakarongo mai · national youth participation advisor march 2023 – jan 2025

te waka rangatira –
the voyce youth movement

te waka rangatira is the name of voyce – whakarongo mai's youth movement. everything for and with young people who are care-experienced sits within it. across two years, i helped design and grow this movement: building leadership capability, facilitating wananga, supporting young people to enter advocacy spaces, and shaping the organisational strategy that would sustain their participation long-term.

30+young people

15+events facilitated

5regions

5+select committee submissions

youth movementfacilitation leadership developmentco-design youth participationpolicy submissions regional youth councils

what i delivered

designed and delivered 40+ participatory workshops and engagement experiences for young people and professionals, equipping participants with advocacy, public speaking, and policy literacy skills
led multi-day wananga, summits, and national engagement initiatives centring lived experience
mentored youth council leaders and supported onboarding of new members, strengthening advocacy capability and governance leadership
maintained relationships with 30+ care-experienced young people post-events, creating sustained pathways into advocacy
contributed to and co-ordinated youth voice across 5+ formal submissions to parliament
ensured and coordinated youth voices into the national care strategy
collaborated on translating complex policy and systemic issues into accessible digital resources for advocacy
launched a regular newsletter so young people always knew what was happening in te waka rangatira and how they could get involved
amplified care-experienced voices through 7+ media engagements including rnz and nz herald
represented voyce internationally, sharing learnings with sister organisations in the uk, ireland, scotland, usa, and australia
contributed to shaping voyce's youth participation strategy, translating frontline practice into long-term organisational frameworks

international engagement

taking aotearoa's story overseas

representing care-experienced young people and nz advocacy practice internationally — building global networks, exchanging best practice, and contributing to the international child rights movement. the common thread in my international mahi is visiting countries where colonisation has shaped care systems. (new zealand, australia, scotland, ireland, and california, usa). the same communities are fighting the same fights.

✦ uk & europe · 2024

Become UKlondon · national advocacy for care leavers

EPICdublin · empowering people in care

VOYPICbelfast · voices of young people in care

Who Cares? Scotlandglasgow · spoke at the love rally

Scottish Children's Commissionedinburgh · uncrc & children's rights in law

Leiden Universitynetherlands · visited advanced masters in child rights law class

✦ united states · 2022 – 2025

California Youth Connectionlos angeles · system impact youth advocacy

NFYIwashington dc · national foster youth institute · shadow day participant

ARC — Anti-Recidivism Coalitionlos angeles · justice advocacy

Young Women's Freedom Centrelos angeles · system impacted women

LA County Youth Commissionlos angeles · youth civic participation

Chuco's Justice Centrelos angeles · community justice & youth programmes

Foster Youth Museumsacramento · museum & gallery volunteer · 2025

✦ australia · 2024

CREATE Foundationadelaide · voices in action conference · presented 6 promises campaign

more work

also worth noting

✦ conference · international · 6 promises · voyce – whakarongo mai · adelaide 2024

voices in action conference

invited by create foundation to present voyce – whakarongo mai's 6 promises campaign at their biannual voices in action conference in adelaide. connected with care-experienced young people and advocates from across australia, sharing learnings that fed directly into voyce – whakarongo mai's 2026 conference.

✦ co-design · royal commission · voyce – whakarongo mai · lived experience · youth voice

korowai aroha ↗

contributed to the korowai aroha independent submission to the royal commission of inquiry into abuse in care. the report centres the voices of 11 care-experienced young people who experienced abuse after 1999. the submission outlined 25 key asks and recommendations, ensuring mokopuna voices, te tiriti principles, and uncrc obligations were central.

✦ policy · submissions · systemic advocacy · voyce – whakarongo mai · youth

policy analysis & parliamentary submissions

across two years at voyce – whakarongo mai, i contributed to and co-ordinated youth voice across a range of formal parliamentary submissions, ensuring care-experienced youth perspectives were embedded in legislative processes that directly affected their lives. submissions included:

treaty principles bill oversight of oranga tamariki bill oranga tamariki repeal of 7aa bill abuse in care legislation amendment bill ot responding to serious youth offending bill 6 promises petitions select committee

good engagement starts withgenuine curiosity.

y25 programme &community engagement

what i delivered

6 promiseselection campaign

what i delivered

te waka rangatira –the voyce youth movement

what i delivered

taking aotearoa's story overseas

also worth noting

voices in action conference

korowai aroha ↗

policy analysis & parliamentary submissions

good engagement starts with
genuine curiosity.

y25 programme &
community engagement

6 promises
election campaign

te waka rangatira –
the voyce youth movement