Background: The Treehouse will be a unique child-focused research environment on the international stage. It will be both a physical and virtual environment that will operate on the principle of inclusivity, ensuring that all children, regardless of age, language, culture, ability, socio-economic status, or geographical location have a platform to be heard and to contribute to
conversations that shape their world. The creation of this physical and virtual children’s research environment is informed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child that upholds children’s right to have voice about matters impacting them, regardless of frontiers. Children will be active coresearchers and participants in designing The Treehouse so that it becomes a hub to address
personal and societal issues to inform policy and practices ensuring that children have a direct say in their future.

Aims: To describe the first three theory-driven co-design processes with children, colleagues, and community to build The Treehouse as a physical and virtual children’s research environment to house the Children’s Voices Centre at Charles Sturt University, Australia.

Method:   Stage 1 (Children) consists of the application of child-focused participatory action research frameworks (Lundy Model, Shier’s Participation Matrix, Clark and Moss’ Mosaic Approach) to work with children to co-design The Treehouse using a consumer community involvement strategy. Children will advise on the research’s ethics application. Stage 2 (Colleagues) entails a two-part review of information about children on university campuses. An international literature review identified 301 papers that were entered into Covidence and 95 papers were included in the review. A national policy review identified 79
policies from 37 universities. Stage 3 (Community) involves identifying stakeholders for supporting children’s voices to be heard using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Children will work with the researchers to invite these stakeholders to provide advice for the creation of The Treehouse and their feedback will be incorporated into the co-design process using the Mosaic Model.

Results: Stage 1 (Children) consists of the application of child-focused participatory action research frameworks (Lundy Model, Shier’s Participation Matrix, Clark and Moss’ Mosaic Approach) to work with children to co-design The Treehouse using a consumer community involvement strategy. Children will advise on the research’s ethics application. Stage 2 (Colleagues) entails a two-part review of information about children on university campuses. An international literature review identified 301 papers that were entered into Covidence and 95 papers were included in the review. A national policy review identified 79
policies from 37 universities. Stage 3 (Community) involves identifying stakeholders for supporting children’s voices to be heard using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Children will work with the researchers to invite these stakeholders to provide advice for the creation of The Treehouse and their feedback will be incorporated into the co-design process using the Mosaic Model.

Conclusions: This paper outlines the first three discovery and planning stages of centring the voices of children to co-design The Treehouse. These processes demonstrate commitment to ensuring that the Children’s Voices Centre will be a hub of research excellence that champions children’s communication rights and fosters inclusivity, diversity, and innovation to empower all children to communicate, collaborate, and create a better future for themselves and the world.

Implications for children and families: We are working together to create The Treehouse as a place for children to have a say about things that matter to them – to be involved in research – and to create spaces for adults to listen to children. The Treehouse will be a fun building in Bathurst, Australia – and will also be online – so that everyone can come along, join in and have a say.

Implications for practitioners: This paper describes the initial co-design phases to create The Treehouse as a virtual and physical hub for the Children’s Voices Centre. It demonstrates theories, methodologies, and decision-making processes to centre the voices of children in co-designing child-focused research environments.

Key words: children’s voices, communication, community services, interdisciplinary, innovation, international communities, regional/rural communities, vulnerable communities

This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
• SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals