Youth parliament is no mockery
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to help create the policies which shape Australian society, then the 9th annual YMCA NSW Youth Parliament program offers you an opportunity to do just that.
High school students between the ages of 15 and 18 are invited to apply to take part in the 2010 program which helps young people learn about parliamentary processes.
Students who successfully apply will be mentored by authentic members of parliament and will be asked to work in teams to develop bills on issues they will then debate at Youth Parliament.
Participants in the 2010 Youth Parliament will be expected to attend a training camp over the weekend of April 9-11, followed by a week long camp from July 4-9 during which they will spend three days at NSW Parliament House debating their bills.
In 2009, Richmond River High School student Alex Jones took part in the program and helped develop bills focussing on anti-bullying legislation for schools. She made the trip to the NSW parliament chambers to engage in mock debate and won the ‘most outstanding speaker of the opposition’ award for her contribution to the event.
Applications close on February 19, 2010. For more information, visit the website www.ymcasydney.org/
youth-parliament.
