Upcoming Events
Student CHOGM 2024
Student CHOGM, or SCHOGM, is Commonwealth Youth’s annual flagship event. It provides an opportunity for high school students to immerse themselves in international relations and develop a greater understanding of world issues. The two-day event is rife with debate, discussion, and personal development.
During SCHOGM, students from across Aotearoa New Zealand will meet in Parliament and represent a Commonwealth country, acting as their Head of Government or Foreign Minister. The conference is designed for students to steer through political crises, issue press statements, and grapple with grave concerns facing today's Commonwealth countries.
Common Leaders' Day 2024
This year, Commonwealth Youth New Zealand and the British High Commission are partnered in running Common Leaders' Day (CLD).
CLD is held annually, with the aim to provide opportunities for students to engage with, and learn more about the Commonwealth. The event will feature a Q&A and round table discussion with diplomats, featuring British Deputy High Commissioner John Pearson.
Student CHOGM 2023
National Student CHOGM is our annual flagship event. It creates an opportunity for young New Zealanders to engage in two full-on days of debate, discussion, and personal development.
During the Student CHOGM, high school students from across New Zealand come together to meet in Parliament and reproduce a Heads of Government Meeting by assuming the role of a leader, representing a Commonwealth country and debating and discussing issues of global importance.
Common Leaders’ Day 2023
Common Leaders’ Day is a leadership programme for senior secondary school students designed to empower them to realise their potential and natural leadership skills, and to engage them with issues relevant to New Zealand and the Commonwealth.
Participants hear from various guest speakers and are immersed in workshops aimed at developing their own skills to create lasting and meaningful change in their communities.
Our guest speakers and workshop facilitators have a particular focus on the changes New Zealand and the global community are facing (and are likely to face), and the importance of leadership in facing the challenging times we increasingly find ourselves in.
We accept applications for up to two students per school from year 11 upwards.
Student CHOGM 2022
In real life, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is an event held every second year, where leaders of the Commonwealth countries come together to deliberate future policies.
In our version of this, the National Student CHOGM, high school students from across New Zealand come together to meet in Parliament and reproduce this event by assuming the role of a leader, representing a Commonwealth country and debating and discussing issues of global importance.
During this event, students get the chance to build connections with like-minded peers, and with leading professionals in the field.