Photo: Youth Parliament representative Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett
Young people interested in developing their leadership and public speaking skills now have the unparalleled opportunity to learn about the political process by becoming a youth member of parliament.
Applications are open for the 2017 Western Australian YMCA Youth Parliament, which gives young people an opportunity to communicate their perspectives on a range of important issues facing the Western Australian community.
YMCA WA Mentoring Manager Tim Galloway said this year’s program is a great opportunity for young people to use their voice for positive social change.
“At YMCA WA we believe in the power of inspired young people, and this program is the perfect platform for engaged young people to further develop skills that will enable them to become the future leaders in our community,” Tim said.
“We’ve been running the program for 21 years and have seen many of our alumni directly influence and bring about change in their community, either informally or through formal roles in politics, community service and leadership.”
The program is open to all young people aged 15-25 who reside in WA.
Successful applicants will participate in parliamentary training and bill writing sessions in the lead up to the week-long residential camp in July. The residential camp is comprised of sessions to develop legislation as well as three days of parliamentary sittings, supplemented with recreational activities and opportunities to engage with politicians and other leaders in society.
“The Western Australian YMCA Youth Parliament is a fantastic opportunity for young people to meet like-minded peers and challenge themselves in a fun, supportive environment as they develop their communication and leadership skills through engagement with the political process,” Tim said.
To apply, young people are invited to submit an application to: https://sites.google.com/a/youthparlwa.com/western-australian-youth-parliament-2-/Home
Applications close on the 12th of March 2017.