Participate in Youth Parliament

In Youth Parliament, a Bill is a 3-4 page document that outlines proposed legislation. You will spend Term One and Term Two figuring out an issue that you’re passionate about and writing a Bill, with support from a Taskforce mentor.

In the first week of the winter school holidays, you will stand up in Parliament House and debate why it should be law in Victoria, against another team participating in Youth Parliament. You will get lots and lots of support in how to create and debate yours (and others’) Bills, we believe anyone can do it!

If you would like an example of what a Bill looks like, you can see the 2024 Bills here.

You do not need a team of six to submit an application for Youth Parliament. This is to provide time for schools or groups who wish to participate to submit an application and source their participants once they have been accepted into the program.

However, you will need to have a confirmed team of six young people by the deadline of 5:00pm Friday 11 October 2024, should your team be successful in the application.

Yes, it is compulsory for every participant to attend and participate in the residential camp aspects of this program. Not only will there be a heap of really important information and skill building covered on the camps, but they are designed to be engaging experiential learning opportunities to develop personally and professionally in a supportive and collaborative environment. Incredibly meaningful connections are built between participants, and between the taskforce and young people involved. We promise you won’t want to miss out!

If you have questions or concerns about the camp, please email our team at youthparliament.vic@ymca.org.au and we’re more than happy to make sure you know that camp is safe, fun and empowering.

Camp will be very busy with lots to do. While we can’t promise a quiet place to study that you might be used to at home, there will be breaks provided for meals, with the most free time in the morning before the day begins and at night before bed.

However, participants typically prefer to spend this time socialising with their peers and taking a break from camp sessions. We would suggest taking a break from school work to enjoy and celebrate your camp achievements!

The participant fees cover the nine days of residential program (including all accommodation, catering, and mid-program transport), all training and Parliamentary support (including online and face-to-face content), and program materials.