Youth speaker for camps, councils, and youth events
Glen Gerreyn is an Australian youth speaker who presents in person to youth groups, camps, councils, youth services, and conferences. He speaks to young people aged 12 to 25 about hope, purpose, and how to start. Weekends and evenings are available. Sessions run from 45 minutes to a full day.
A Year 9 student at Redlands College in Queensland wrote to me the night after a session. She had prayed the evening before, for the first time in her life, and asked for a sign about whether to keep chasing the thing she wanted. She said the talk was the sign.
I don't tell that story to claim anything. I tell it because it's the reason I keep saying yes to rooms that aren't school halls. The young person who needs to hear it isn't always sitting in a Year 10 assembly on a Tuesday morning. Sometimes they're at camp on a Saturday night. Sometimes they're in the back row of a youth group, arms folded, because a parent made them come.
Same message. Different room. That's the work.
Where I speak outside schools
Youth groups and youth nights
Weeknight and weekend youth programmes, community and faith-based youth groups, and youth leadership teams.
Camps and retreats
Evening keynotes and morning sessions on residential camps, leadership retreats, and year-level getaways.
Councils and youth services
Youth week events, council youth advisory groups, and community youth service programmes.
Conferences and youth summits
Keynotes and breakout youth streams. Most recently the youth sessions at the Business Blueprint International Conference in Fiji.
Sporting clubs and community groups
Pre-season and end-of-season sessions for junior squads, plus community and cultural youth organisations.
Universities and TAFE
Orientation, student leadership, and first-year transition events for 17 to 25 year olds.
What the session actually does
Hope is a skill. It gets named, practised, and rebuilt like any other skill, and the four things underneath it are grit, optimism, courage, and resilience. That's the model, and it's what I've been refining across 25 years and more than 750 schools and organisations.
A session is not a pep talk. Young people leave with something written down: a goal, a first step, and a date. That's deliberate. The measure of a good session is what happens on Monday, not how loud the room was on the night.
Every group takes notes with pen and paper. No phones, no laptops. It's the single biggest lever on whether anything survives the drive home.
What young people write afterwards
These arrived by email, unprompted, after the session. Their words, tidied only for spelling.
Literally last night I prayed to God because I was debating if I should keep trying to make my dream come true. I never pray but I felt like asking last night because I wanted God to give me a sign to tell me to continue. And this was that sign, so thank you.
Year 9 student, Redlands College, QLDI've gone through some difficult friendships and mental health ups and downs over the past few years, and only recently started to step away from that and figure out who I am again. Hearing you speak felt like it came at exactly the right time and gave me a push in the right direction.
Youth session, Business Blueprint International Conference, FijiI really liked your talk. It made me feel proud and special of who I am. I learnt to be myself and treasure my gifts and talents. I've thought about all the things I want to be, do, and accomplish. I now want to chase my dreams and goals and to appreciate everything I have.
Youth session, Business Blueprint International Conference, FijiYou spoke to me at school camp. This was truly an incredible talk. Everything you said really resonated with me and my often crazy ambitions. I am working on my vision board using the infographic.
Year 12 student, Hunter Valley Grammar SchoolI walked in thinking, not these useless programmes again. I'll admit I really hate sitting and listening to people talk. But I have never heard a story like yours and it truly inspired me. The night before, I prayed because I was lost and asked for a direction, and the next day you came in to talk on the exact topic I asked for help with.
Year 10 student, Burgmann Anglican School, ACTI have battled with depression for years and I lost hope in myself. Hearing you say that depression isn't a life sentence, only a season, really resonated with me. I'm now thinking about how I can plan to achieve my dreams and not care what others think, which is a big thing for me.
Year 11 student, Arndell Anglican School, NSWThere are another 301 of these, sorted by state, if you want to keep going: read all 301 student reviews.
Weekends, evenings, and the practical side
- Weekends and evenings are fine. Camps, youth nights, and Saturday conferences are normal bookings, not exceptions.
- In person only. No video link, no webinar, no recorded session. The work depends on being in the room.
- Length is flexible. A 45-minute keynote, a 90-minute session, a half day, or a full day with workshop blocks.
- Faith-based and secular groups both. The model is universal. Tell me which one you are and I'll pitch the language to suit.
- Australia-wide, plus international. Based in Sydney, presenting across every state and territory, and overseas when the dates work.
- One room, one focus. A quiet room, pen and paper, and young people who are actually there. I'll ask you to help set that up.
If you run a high school rather than a youth organisation, the schools page is the one you want: motivational speaker for high schools.
Common questions
What ages does a youth speaker session suit?
Best fit is 12 to 25. The core message about hope, purpose, and taking a first step works across that whole range. For mixed-age groups, tell me the youngest and oldest in the room and I'll pitch the stories to hold both ends.
Do you speak on weekends and at night?
Yes. Youth camps, Friday and Saturday youth nights, weekend conferences, and evening community events are all standard bookings. Weekend dates book out earlier than weekdays, so give as much notice as you can.
Will this work for a faith-based youth group?
Yes. If your group is faith-based, tell me and I'll pitch the language to suit. For council events, community groups, and secular organisations, the language stays universal: hope, character, agency, and action.
How long is a youth speaker session?
Anywhere from a 45-minute keynote to a full day. Most youth groups and camps book 60 to 90 minutes with time for questions. Conferences usually take a keynote plus a breakout. Tell me the slot you have and I'll shape the session to it.
Do you travel outside your home state?
Yes. Based in Sydney, presenting right across Australia and internationally, including the youth sessions at the Business Blueprint International Conference in Fiji. Travel and accommodation are quoted separately for interstate and overseas dates.
What do you need from us on the day?
A room that can go quiet, a microphone if the group is over 60, and pen and paper for everyone. No phones out. That last one does more for retention than anything I say from the front.
Check your date
Tell me the group, the age band, and the date you're holding. I'll come back with availability and a quote.
Check availability