YMCA South Australia Youth Parliament is a non-partisan program providing a platform for young people aged 15 - 25 to have their say on important issues, build skills and parliamentary understanding. It focuses on personal development, empowerment and connecting politicians and decision makers with youth voices and opinions.

The Youth Parliament program runs from March to August every year and includes mentoring, a training weekend, a week-long camp and access to Parliament House. Every year, young leaders come together to learn about public speaking, parliamentary etiquette, bill development and youth advocacy. They share their big ideas, discuss the challenges facing South Australia and create solutions in the form of Youth Bills.

School workshops and mock parliament sessions

Are you a school teacher? Did you know YMCA South Australia run school workshops and mock Parliament debates for years 7 and up? Get in touch with us to find out how we can bring Civics and Citizenship to life and make learning about politics and Parliament fun!

Youth Parliament archive

Powerful experiences and great memories

What previous participants have to say . . .

When I signed up for youth parliament this year, I didn't really know what to expect. I thought I might improve my public speaking skills, maybe gain a bit more confidence. What I didn't expect was to have one of the best weeks of my life, and to learn more than I could ever have learnt in any classroom.

2015 Youth Parliamentarian

On this program I met so many great people. I was amazed at the diversity and like-mindedness of the other Youth Parliamentarians. Some of these people opened my eyes to issues that I have never even heard of before.

2015 Youth Parliamentarian

Contact Us

For more information please contact the YMCA South Australia Youth Empowerment team on (08) 8200 2514.

Joshua Stokes
sayouth@ymca.org.au