A chance for young people to make a difference at the highest level
Published on 21 February 2018
There's still time for Sunraysia's younger residents to be part of this year's YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament Program Mildura Team.
Mildura Rural City Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from young people aged between 16 and 25 to be part of this year's team.
YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament is a program designed to give young Victorians a chance to be heard at the highest levels of State Government on a wide range of issues relevant to young people's lives.
A team of six participants will receive training in public speaking and leadership at residential camps as they research issues that they’re passionate about. From their research they will develop a Bill, which they will then debate in Victorian Parliament over three days in July.
Councillor for Community Development and Gender Equality Ali Cupper said the program provides great personal and professional development opportunities as well as a direct line to the highest levels of Victorian Government.
“The Bills the teams work on are handed to the relevant Ministers, providing the government with an insight into issues that are relevant and important to young Victorians,” Cr Cupper said.
“This is an amazing program due to both the personal development opportunities and the rare opportunity to be heard directly by the Ministers making decisions that affect our youth.”
Over the past 29 years, more than 25 pieces of State Legislation have originated in the Youth Parliament. Examples include Roadside Drug Testing for Drivers, Mandatory Wearing of a Bicycle Helmet and Removal of Glass from Identified High-Risk Entertainment Venues.
The program involves two residential camps at YMCA Lake Dewar Lodge, Myrniong.
The first, a training weekend on 25 – 27 May, trains the participants on parliamentary etiquette and public speaking and gives them a chance to meet each other and grow their skills.
The Youth Parliament program culminates in a week-long residential camp from 1 July to 7 July, of which three days are dedicated to debating in Parliament House, with the remainder of the time spent at the campsite in preparation and taking part in resilience and leadership building sessions.
The program is funded by Mildura Rural City Council and YMCA and is at no cost to successful applicants.
Participants must be aged between 16 and 25 as of 25 May 2018 and be willing to commit fully to the program. This includes attending all meetings organised with their mentor (usually two to three meetings throughout the program), and any additional meetings teams organise to work on a Bill or speech.
Participants are also expected to spend at least five hours working on their Bill and speech writing outside of the residential program and attend the entire three-day residential training weekend and six-day residential program.
Completed Expressions of Interest must be submitted by no later than 5pm, Friday 2 March 2018.
For more information and how to make a nomination visit www.mildura.vic.gov.au/Services/Youth/Youth-Parliament. You can also contact Council’s Youth Services team on 5018 8100.
Media enquiries
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au