YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT HONIARA 2025

26th -30th November, Solomon Islands

How to Apply for the Youth Leadership Summit Honiara 2025

Follow these five simple steps to apply:

1. Become a PAYA Member
Sign up to be a member of the Pacific-Australia Youth Association Inc. at paya.org.au/membership.
Only PAYA Members are eligible to attend the Summit.

2. Ask Someone to Nominate You
Find someone who can vouch for your leadership and contributions—this could be a teacher, employer, mentor, community leader, or elder. They can submit a nomination for you at paya.org.au/summit/nomination.

3. Wait for Your Application Form
Once your nomination is received, PAYA will assess it and send you an official application form within 72 hours.

4. Outcome Notification
All applicants will receive an outcome by 10th July 2025.

5. Confirm Your Place
If successful, you’ll need to:
✔ Accept your offer
✔ Sign your Participation Agreement
✔ Pay the registration fee

🌏 About the Summit

The Youth Leadership Summit, hosted annually by the Pacific-Australia Youth Association Inc. (PAYA), is our flagship regional initiative — bringing together 40 young leaders aged 18–35 from across the Pacific and Australia. Held each November in a different Pacific Island country or territory, the Summit empowers youth through immersive learning, cross-cultural collaboration, and real-world leadership experiences.

Since launching in NoumĂ©a in 2022, the Summit has become a movement — celebrating Pacific identity, nurturing emerging leadership, and strengthening youth-led solutions for a more empowered and connect region. Each edition centres on themes shaped by the host country, ensuring local relevance and regional impact.

This year, we’re heading to Honiara, Solomon Islands, where the Summit will spotlight the voices, knowledge, and creativity of Solomon Islands youth in addressing shared Pacific challenges.

📅 Program Highlights

The four-day Summit program blends workshops, site visits, cultural immersion, and group projects into one transformative experience. In Honiara, delegates will:

Engage in team-building and storytelling activities

  1. Learn from Pacific leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers

  2. Explore Solomon Islands’ history, culture, and governance

  3. Participate in a Group Project Challenge to design innovative solutions to local issues

  4. Present their projects to community stakeholders

  5. Earn a micro-credential recognising their participation

  6. Join the PAYA Family

The Summit closes with a cultural showcase, project presentations, and a commitment to post-Summit impact.

The Youth Leadership Summit aims to:

  • Strengthen regional identity and cross-cultural understanding

  • Build leadership skills through practical, hands-on learning

  • Support youth-led projects that respond to local and regional priorities

  • Foster connections among youth from diverse backgrounds and islands

  • Provide mentorship, professional development, and internship pathways

  • Amplify Solomon Islands voices while promoting Pacific cooperation

🎯 Objectives

đŸ’» Registration

The registration fee for international delegates (from Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands) is $2,499 AUD. This covers:

  • 4 nights of twin-share accommodation

  • Daily breakfast, all Summit lunches and dinners

  • In-country airport transfers

  • Private bus transport between program events

  • Summit materials and activity access

Please note: International delegates are responsible for booking their own return flights, travel insurance, and any additional costs such as visas or transit accommodation.

Participation is free of charge for local applicants from the Solomon Islands, which includes all meals, local transport, and full access to Summit activities and materials.

To join the Youth Leadership Summit Honiara 2025, all prospective delegates must complete our nomination and application process. Nominations close on the 30th June 2025.

Delegate Testimonials

  • "Being part of PAYA was beyond empowering. I left the summit feeling enabled and reassured that youth all around the pacific are making waves and are active agents of positive and sustainable change.”

    Nauru 2024

  • "My experience attending the Youth Leadership Summit in Nuku'alofa was truly amazing. The summit brought together young, talented leaders from across the Australia-Pacific region, and provided us with an opportunity to connect and share our experiences and ideas."

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • “I feel extremely grateful to have been a part of PAYA Youth Leadership Summit 2024 and I hope for opportunities to return in the future. It was a great opportunity to connect with the vast cultural knowledge that was present and to empower each other to make a change in our communities.”

    Nauru 2024

  • "I had an incredible time during PAYA’s first ever Inaugural Youth Leadership Summit in Noumea. Not only did I get to make amazing connections with likeminded youths from all over the Pacific. I was also grateful for the discussion sessions PAYA organised with SPC and the Province Sud where we get to hear and discuss with fellow high achieving Pacific Islanders."

    Nouméa 2022

  • "Overall the summit was great, interesting, and very educational. I learned a lot through the summit, which now put me in a better place to expand my reach and do more in the youth development space through my line of work. Big thank you to the PAYA core team for putting up this magnificent event. God bless everyone."

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • "Participating in an event of this magnitude has made me aware of the opportunities that exist in our environment in all areas of development. This summit's goal is to bring together young people 
 to meet and learn about other cultures and territories. I express my gratitude and appreciation to the entire PAYA Summit team."

    Nouméa 2022

  • "Do it! If you want to immerse yourself in the Pacific while engaging with delegates from all over the region then this is the Summit for you!"

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • "Join The Youth Leadership Summit. It's a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a unique experience of personal growth, cultural exchange, and community building, while connecting with inspiring young leaders from across the region."

    Nouméa 2022

  • "Many thanks to all of you! You've motivated me to become a young leader in my community, and to inspire other young people to do the same. At first I didn't know anyone, but I came home with 42 more friends. I'm so grateful. Malo ‘aupito, Ofa atu"

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • "It was an absolutely amazing experience, I loved every minute of it. All the activities were so well-thought out and I got so much out of it."

    Nouméa 2022

  • "I realized that as an islander, there is a world of connections, experiences and projects right there, waiting to happen. I can't wait to keep exploring!"

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • "The PAYA conference is wonderful opportunity for those looking to dip their toes into working cross-culturally in the Pacific. I encourage those interested in Pacific work to apply, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because we need to play a larger role in the Pacific."

    Nouméa 2022

  • "The Youth Leadership Summit held in Nuku'alofa, Tonga in 2023, organized by PAYA, was an incredibly inspiring experience. I had the chance to connect with like-minded individuals from across the Australia-Pacific region and develop my leadership skills in a supportive environment. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing what PAYA has in store for their future events!"

    Nuku’alofa 2023

  • “It was inspiring to see how the local team created such a youthful, engaging and informative summit that covered so many topics relevant to the pacific. The balance of indoor activities/sessions and outdoor activities was good. Although we covered a lot of important things during the sessions I never ended the day feeling drained. Having youth from different disciplines as well made it a more enriching experience to learn what each youth is doing back in their countries.”

    Nauru 2024

  • "The 2022 Summit brought together some of the best and brightest youth leaders from across the Pacific region. In attending, I gained unique insights, learned new skills, and created life-long friendships. I would strongly recommend applying for the Summit in 2023."

    Nouméa 2022

Next

📝 Nomination Form - International Delegates