Australian of the Year

Dr Zach Greig is the founder of The Stand Up Project, a peer‑led anti‑bullying initiative empowering young people to become active upstanders in their schools and communities.  

Zach’s commitment to change is deeply personal. As a child, Zach was bullied and he feared going to school. After completing a PhD into power dynamics, Zach applied his lived experience with academic research and practical action to develop The Stand Up Project. 

The initiative is student‑designed and delivered where thousands of young Australians learn about the bystander effect, the drivers of poor behaviour and age‑appropriate ways to challenge harassment. Students then teach these skills to younger peers, teachers and families, embedding evidence‑based approaches to shift behaviour.  

Zach’s leadership is reframing bullying prevention nationally by placing student voice, agency and leadership at the centre of urgently needed cultural change.