Youth Parliament

Youth Parliament is the Y NSW’s flagship youth leadership and engagement program and has been operating for 20 years in NSW. The program provides high school-age students with the opportunity to engage with civic leadership, policy development, and democratic parliamentary debate.

At the Y, we believe in the power of inspired young people.

Youth Parliament plays an important role in public discourse as it is all about empowerment and advocacy that provides a platform for young people to have their voices heard.

Aimed at young people in years 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent age throughout the state, the Y NSW Youth Parliament highlights the power of young people speaking on issues that are important to them and their local communities.

Led by young people for young people, each year’s cohort receives training from a youth volunteer taskforce, previous participants and external professional bodies. In the last ten years, approximately 1,000 young people have participated in the program.

Every participant’s potential to lead, learn and connect is nurtured through parliamentary education, community engagement, confidence building and teamwork. They develop their skills in creating social impact and positive change in a diverse, inclusive, safe and supportive environment.

The program involves young people creating reports with recommendations on issues for change within each government portfolio. These are debated during a mock sitting week in NSW Parliament House in a chamber where many MPs chair the debates. Youth Parliament culminates in a final event where young people present their report recommendations to a government MP in that portfolio.

Youth Parliament Statistics

97% of participants said they felt more empowered to advocate for issues in their local communities
98% of volunteers said they had enhanced their personal leadership skills
(Youth and Community Outcomes Report, 2019-20. The Y NSW)

Program Highlights

As part of our Reconciliation journey, we have established an Aboriginal Affairs Committee as part of our Youth Parliament program.
Each year, Youth Parliament participants draft "Bills" or reports and present these to Members of the NSW Parliament.
Trailblazers like Hamani Tanginoa: a young, gay, Wiradjuri, Goreng Goreng and Tongan man - made history at the Y as the first Aboriginal Youth Premier for NSW at 17 years of age at Youth Parliament.
Former Youth Parliamentarians have gone on to become Members of Parliament in the NSW Parliament and returned to the Y NSW Youth Parliament program as guests to attend events and chair debates.
Youth Parliament members have featured in news media nationally to discuss issues

YP Testimonial

Member for Castle Hill, Minister for Justice, Michael Farah 2022

“As a person who lives in NSW who has lots of ideas and notions, who wants to really initiate change, I believe Youth Parliament and the Y allows young people like me to be an agent of change.”

Applications have now closed for Youth Parliamentarians for 2023.

Learn about everything you need to know about Youth Parliament

Key dates for your diary
What it's like to be a Youth Parliament Taskforce Volunteer (Taskie)?
How to apply

Visit our Participant Information online!

Discover more about the Y NSW Youth Parliament online and on our socials!

Facebook @ymcanswyp | Instagram @ymcansw_yp | Youth Parliament in the News and Media

Youth Parliamentarian FAQs

What will I do as a Youth Parliamentarian?

Click on the infographic to find out more about the key steps of Youth Parliament; these include:

Application and selection
Training camp
Residential camp
Presentation of your Youth Bill
Becoming a YP Alumni

Discover more in our Youth Parliament Information Pack.

I have applied to be a participant, when will I know if I have been successful in my application?

All applicants will be notified by Monday 20 February 2023 via email. Please make sure to check your spam/junk folder just in case.

What happens if my application for YP is unsuccessful?

Please do not be discouraged if your application for YP is unsuccessful. You will be placed on a waiting list in case a Youth Parliamentarian withdraws from their position in the program. Applicants on our waitlist will be contacted if an appropriate place becomes available.

What is the program fee for participants?

The participant program fee is $750.

Can I get assistance with paying the program participant fee?

Yes! We encourage all successful applicants to reach out to their school or local Member of Parliament to see if they can either partially or fully sponsor you.

If you are unsuccessful in exploring this option, you are welcome to reach out to the Youth Parliament Program Coordinator to discuss further options. This may be in the form of a payment plan that best suits your situation.

We understand that the participant program fee is a substantial cost, and we do not want this to deter you from applying as a participant.

Can I participate in the program as either a participant or volunteer if I am from a regional/remote area?

Yes! Of course, we would love to have you participate in Youth Parliament. If you have any more questions, please get in touch with our Youth Parliament Coordinator directly via email at youthparliament@ymcansw.org.au.

Can Youth Parliament sign-off on my Duke of Edinburgh?

Yes, our Youth Parliament Program Coordinator can sign off on the Training and Residential camps at the end of the program. We will not sign off on any Duke of Edinburgh forms before this time.

I am a successful applicant, but I need to withdraw from my position in the program. How do I do this?

We understand that commitments can change. Therefore, there is a cooling-off period that enables you to withdraw your position as a participant, which is before Sunday, 9 April 2023. If you cancel after this period, you will not be eligible to receive a refund.

I am a successful applicant, do both camps (in the April and July school holidays) have mandatory attendance?

Yes, both camps have mandatory attendance. If you are unable to attend in person and you have not communicated this to the Youth Parliament Program Coordinator before camp begins, you may be removed from the program.

Participants must remain on location for Training and Residential Camp at all times. Passouts are not permitted unless there's a medical or family emergency.

Do you have any scholarships available?

Yes, the Y NSW are offering two First Nations young people a full scholarship to cover expenses to represent their electorate at Youth Parliament.

For more information, you can download the YP2023 Participant Application Pack.

Timeline

Scholarship applications close Friday 17 February 2023.
Successful applicants will be notified on Monday 20 February 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

You identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, who is aged between 16-18 years of age an currently in years 10,11 or 12 at high school.
You have not participated in Youth Parliament before.
Although not an essential requirement, applications from rural and regional NSW will be prioritised.

Total value

Program fee to the total of $750
The value of the sponsorship will cover your program cost. It is up to the successful applicant to make their own way to and from the camp.
If you will be travelling from a regional or rural location, please reach out to the Y NSW for assistance.

Apply for a First Nations Scholarship

Nominating a Young Person FAQ

I've heard about nominating a young person for Youth Parliament, what's it all about?

Nominating a Young Person

The Y’s influential Youth Parliament program educates NSW’s young people about the parliamentary process, enabling them to actively engage in public policy by creating and debating bills. Every participant’s potential to lead, learn and connect is nurtured through parliamentary education, community engagement, confidence building and teamwork.

Nominating a Youth Parliamentarian is a rewarding experience and a powerful way for you to engage with the ideas of young people in your school and electorate and more broadly in NSW.

Youth Parliament is always on the lookout for passionate and inspired young people! We welcome any nominations made by schools and/or Members of NSW Parliament.

I am a NSW school teacher or Member of Parliament, can I nominate a young person to be Youth Parliamentarian?

Yes! You are welcome to nominate as many young people as possible in years 10-12 (or age equivalent).

You can nominate a young person by completing the YP Application Form.
Applications for YP2023 have now closed.

What is the program fee?

The participant program fee is $750. We highly encourage that if you have capacity to either partially or fully sponsor a participant from your school or electorate – it would support this young person tremendously.

I know of a young person aged between 18-25 years, can I nominate them to be a part of the program?

Yes! For young people aged 18-25 years, you can refer them to the program as a volunteer.

Please view our Volunteer Application Kit for more information.

I am a local Member of Parliament and I'd like to meet the Youth Parliamentarian representing my electorate – is this possible?

Yes, please reach out to our program coordinator via email at youthparliament@ymcansw.org.au and we can hopefully make this a reality!

How can I be a part of the Youth Parliament program?

There are so many ways to be a part of program! You can support a participant financially or you can be a part of our Youth Sitting Week. Feel free to contact our Program coordinator to discuss how you can be involved.

Please reach out to our program coordinator via email at youthparliament@ymcansw.org.au.

Past Bills and Reports

Where can I view past Youth Bills and Reports?