Applications Open For The Y NSW’s 2023 Youth Parliament

The call has gone out urging youths in Years 10, 11 and 12 to apply for the Y NSW’s 2023 Youth Parliament.

Youth Parliament is the State’s premier youth empowerment program, offering young people of an equivalent age to students in Years 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to debate in NSW Parliament, create Youth Bills on issues for change and have their voices and recommendations heard by Members of Parliament.

It has been operating for 20 years and calls on future thought-leaders, change-makers, trailblazers and inspired youth to participate.

Youth Parliamentarians receive specialised training through a series of camps and online workshops, parliamentary education and experience, plus an opportunity for community engagement and teamwork all designed to nurture participants in developing their skills to create social impact and positive change.

Throughout the program, participants are invited to create reports with recommendations for policy change and debate their recommendations during a mock sitting week in NSW Parliament House chaired by Ministers of Parliament.

The Y NSW then actively works to facilitate ongoing engagement with relevant Ministers.

The Y NSW CEO, Susannah Le Bron said that the Youth Parliament program provided an important platform to ensure young people were heard.

“Each year I am amazed by the immense passion, intelligence and insight participants bring to Youth Parliament as they speak on issues that are important to them,” Ms Le Bron said.

“Young people are the focus of everything we do at the Y NSW so it’s incredibly exciting watching participants flourish as they are empowered to engage with civic leadership, policy development and democratic parliamentary debate.”

In the past decade, approximately 1000 young people have participated in the program with 97 per cent of participants surveyed stating they felt more empowered to advocate for issues in their local communities.

Testament to the value of the program, former Youth Parliamentarians have gone on to become Members of Parliament and return to the Youth Parliament program as guest mentors.

If you are a young person looking for an opportunity to stand up and give a voice to issues that you’re passionate about, this is the program for you.

Visit www.ymcansw.org.au/youth-parliament to apply before February 17, 2023.

School teachers and Members of Parliament can also nominate a young person.

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• Government