Ava Dupont, 12, won the Multicultural Perspectives public speaking competition held by the NSW Department of Education eight days ago, with a speech calling for Aboriginal languages to be taught in schools, and arguing Australia had been multicultural long before the English arrived.

And the Year 6 student says she's willing to deal with nerves if public speaking can give her a chance to influence the world.

"I love speaking in front of people and talking to the audience," she said.

"I also get very nervous. I try and take deep breaths and have fun ... let everything go and do it because I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Ava said she found it more stressful writing the speech and refining it over the months leading up to the competition final - delivering it helped the nerves go away.

"When I'm doing public speaking they have to listen - it's the only time people really have to listen," she said.

"I'm talking to the audience and spreading something I feel strongly, I feel passionately about - so I find that fun and interesting."

At the finals, Ava had to give a four-minute speech on the topic of "Welcome to Australia", where she highlighted the fact there were 600 or so Aboriginal languages 250 years ago, but most have been lost.

"Since I started writing my book I read Bruce Pascoe's book Dark Emu, and it really opened my mind up to indigenous cultures," Ava said.

She then had to give an impromptu speech on the topic of "What a Mess", where she drew on a Bali snorkeling trip for inspiration. What she thought was a jellyfish she soon realised was a plastic bag - and she was surrounded by them.

It's clear Ava intends to use her articulation skills to better the world. And her inspiration? A certain 16-year-old Swede called Greta Thunberg who has captured the world's attention on climate change.

"I really look up to her - I'd love to be able to do what she does," Ava said.

"What she's done is amazing. She started as a lonely protester and people started joining her. The word spread out and she inspired so many people.

"I feel really disappointed in [older politicians] that they wouldn't look at the facts about what's happening with our planet. They should do more of that instead of telling the younger generation to stop, and calling them names."