Applications are now open for individuals to participate in Youth Parliament 2026!
Successful individuals will be place into an existing Youth Parliament team that does not have a full team of 6 members. Individuals aren’t guaranteed to have the opportunity to contribute to their team’s Bill, however all individual participants will be expected to contribute to speech writing, debates, and any stakeholder meeting opportunities.
Please read through the participant expectations below before applying. For any questions or concerns, please contact Kaitlin (Sheepy) via email: youthparliament.vic@ymca.org.au.
All successful applicants will be placed on a waitlist in order of applications received to fill team vacancies. We cannot guarantee a place for all successful individuals in the 2026 program, however, it is possible for teams to have vacancies up until the week-long residential program.
Applicants should expect a response to their application within two weeks of submission. Please note the compulsory residential camp dates below:
Participant training weekend: Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May 2026
Week of Youth Parliament: Sunday 28 June to Friday 3 July 2026
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Participant expectations
Due to the limited spaces on the program, unfortunately some applicants will miss out. Therefore, it is imperative that every applicant who wishes to participate in the program understands the expectations of all participants and is willing to meet those expectations, as follows: - Participants commit to attending all team meetings of the team that they are placed in to engage in speech writing and debate planning.
- Participants must attend the entire three-day residential training weekend, and six-day residential program at Lake Dewar Discovery Camp.
- Failure to be available and present for both camps will result in an unsuccessful application.
- While on camp, participants must respect that the YMCA has duty of care for all participants, even if they are over the age of 18. This means that all participants adhere to all procedures and policies in place and must stay on site at all times.
- While on the residential program, participants are expected to participate in all sessions and activities to the best of their ability.
- Participants are expected to respect the diversity and the opinions of other young people on the program and understand that the Victorian Youth Parliament is a non-partisan, issues-based program and is not affiliated with any political party or specific ideologies.
- Participants should note that Youth Parliament is a drug, alcohol and weapon free program, and no drugs, alcohol or weapons are allowed onto the residential program.