Your Voice ~ Your Ideas ~ Your Opportunity.

Are you 16 to 18 years old, interested in agriculture, animals, rural life, community events, leadership, or simply looking for an opportunity to try something new?

The Cairns Show Young Rural Ambassador (YRA) Award could be for you!

The program gives young people the chance to build confidence, develop new skills, meet like-minded people and get involved behind the scenes at the Cairns Show.

You don’t need to be an expert in agriculture, and you don’t need to have all the answers. We’re looking for young people who are enthusiastic, curious, community-minded and willing to have a go.

Whether you grew up on a farm, study agriculture at school, love animals, volunteer in your community, are interested in the environment or rural industries, or simply want to become more involved in the Cairns Show, we’d love to hear from you.

This is your opportunity to find your voice, share your ideas and represent the next generation of the Show Movement.

Why Enter?

Becoming a Young Rural Ambassador is about much more than winning an award.

It’s a chance to:

• Build your confidence and communication skills
• Develop leadership skills for school, work and your future
• Meet other young people with similar interests
• Make new friends and industry connections
• Learn more about agriculture and rural industries
• Discover what happens behind the scenes at the Cairns Show
• Get involved in your local community
• Share your ideas about the future of agricultural shows
• Add valuable experience to your resume
• Represent young people within the Cairns Show community
• Most importantly, have fun and try something new!

Awards

And yes, there are some great prizes too!

🥇 1st Prize

• $200 cash
• Trophy
• Young Rural Ambassador shirt
• Cairns Show Showtime Membership

🥈 2nd Prize

• $100 cash
• Cairns Show Showtime Membership

Prizes are non-transferable and may be subject to change.

Key Dates

• Entries close: Monday 15 March
• Finalist interviews: Via Teams, date to be confirmed
• Awards Presentation Night: Friday 26 March
• Location: Bungalow Hotel

Who Can Enter?

If you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone and give something new a go, we encourage you to enter.

Entrants must:

• Be a permanent resident of Australia
• Have lived in Queensland for at least three months before nomination
• Be aged 16 to under 19 years as at 1 July in the year of competition
• Meet the applicable residency and eligibility requirements
• Be male or female

Immediate family members of Cairns Show Association committee members or staff may enter, provided any pecuniary interest is declared and the relevant family member is not involved in discussions regarding results.

Previous Young Rural Ambassador winners cannot re-enter the YRA Award, but we encourage them to continue their journey through the Rural Ambassador Awards.

Who Are We Looking For?

Here’s the important part: we’re not looking for someone who already knows everything.

We’re looking for young people who are interested in learning, meeting people and becoming involved.

You might have:

• An interest in agriculture, animals or rural industries
• Involvement in your school, club or community
• Enthusiasm for agricultural shows and community events
• New ideas you’d love to share
• Leadership potential
• An interest in issues affecting rural and regional communities
• Goals and ambitions for your future
• A willingness to learn and develop your communication skills
• An interest in becoming more involved with the Cairns Show

You don’t need to tick every box.

Part of becoming a Young Rural Ambassador is having the opportunity to learn, grow and build your confidence along the way.

Ready to Enter?

Putting your entry together is your first chance to tell us a little about who you are, what you’re interested in and why you’d love to be involved.

You’ll need to submit:

• Young Rural Ambassador Entry Form
• Entrant Questionnaire
• Recent high-resolution photograph
• Cover letter
• A 2-minute video introducing yourself and telling us why you’d like to become a Young Rural Ambassador

Don’t overthink your video. Be yourself! We want to meet the person behind the application and hear, in your own words, why you’re interested.

Your video will be shared on the Cairns Show Facebook page and will form part of the selection process, so please choose a quiet location with clear sound and minimal background noise.

Email your completed entry to [email protected].

What Happens Next?

Selected finalists will take part in an interview via Teams.

You’ll have the opportunity to chat about your interests, goals, involvement in your community and what being a Young Rural Ambassador would mean to you.

Finalists will then attend the Awards Presentation Night, where they’ll give a short introduction on stage about themselves and why they decided to enter.

It might sound a little daunting, but that’s what the experience is all about: having a go, stepping outside your comfort zone and discovering what you’re capable of.

What Will We Look At?

The selection process considers your:

• Involvement or interest in Agricultural Shows
• Community involvement
• Rural and agricultural knowledge
• Personality and presentation
• Ambitions and future goals
• Communication skills
• Presentation and deportment
• Public presentation

Judging will consider your:

• Questionnaire
• Video introduction
• Interview
• On-stage presentation

Remember, nobody expects you to know everything. We want to see your personality, enthusiasm, ideas and willingness to learn.

What Does the Winner Get to Do?

As the Cairns Show Young Rural Ambassador, you’ll become part of the Cairns Show community and have opportunities to represent other young people within the Show Movement.

You may:

• Represent the Cairns Show Association and local community
• Get involved behind the scenes at the Cairns Show
• Assist with judging, stewarding or other Show activities
• Attend at least the Friday of the Cairns Show, with flexibility around school and work
• Attend events and activities where possible
• Participate in the QCAS Next Generation Committee
• Meet people from agriculture, business and the wider community
• Help promote the Cairns Show and the future of the Show Movement

It’s an opportunity to get involved rather than simply watch from the sidelines.

What Do I Wear?

Don’t stress, we’ll make it easy.

During the Cairns Show

• YRA shirt
• Skirt, jeans or pants
• Comfortable, sensible footwear
• Sun-safe hat
• Optional coat or school blazer

In the Show Ring

• Dress pants or jeans
• Shirt with a tie or scarf

School and Work Come First

We understand that entrants have school, study, sporting, family and work commitments.

The Cairns Show Association aims to make participation flexible so that being involved doesn’t unnecessarily interfere with your education or employment.

The Young Rural Ambassador program is designed to be a positive, rewarding and enjoyable experience that helps you grow.

Think you might be interested?

Don’t wait until you feel completely ready.

Sometimes the best opportunities start by simply saying, “I’ll give it a go.”

Bring your personality. Bring your ideas. Bring your passion.

Your YRA journey could start here!