ParliamentTo begin the parliamentary aspect of the program, Youth Members break into Committees based on an area of interest and are assigned a mentor experienced in parliamentary protocol and legislative writing. Committees then discuss issues which they feel need to be tackled until they strike upon something the entire committee would like to debate in Queensland Parliament House. At this point the Committee will break in half so that one side will write a Bill (the Sponsoring Team) and another side writes amendments to improve this Bill (the Refuting Team). For examples of past Youth Bills and Amendments see Past Debates. Once these have all been written, Youth Members will assemble in Brisbane for one week in the September-October mid-semester break and argue for and against their ideas in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland's Parliament. Youth Bills which are passed by the Youth Parliament will be signed by the Youth Governor and passed onto the Members Queensland Parliament for consideration.
Community Engagement
Similar to the Parliamentary Committees, Youth Members once again break into smaller groups based both on interest and also on their region of Queensland, to encourage cooperation between Youth Members within certain areas of Queensland. Each Regional Committees is assigned a mentor and together will identify and discuss problems and issues within their community and devise practical action plans to respond and address these issues. In the past committees have worked with groups such as Family Planning Queensland and Drug Arm, whereas other committees have chosen to set up various events or infrastructure using their own resources. The main aim is to encourage greater community involvement on any level, and show Youth Members how easy and enjoyable these activities are and how integral they are in supporting meaningful change in the community.
Personal DevelopmentWhile the challenges of working with new people and learning new skills lend themselves to personal development, QYP aims to provide a supportinve community in which participants can build these skills. As well as the Recreational Officers specifically dedicated to the emotional wellbeing and self confidence of participants, the entire Executive team always aims to put participant's personal development first. Participants are encouraged to "get amoungst it" and take every opportunity provided to help develop their public speaking skills and more importantly, their ability to listen and learn from eachother. Additionally by supporting an apolitical environment, every participant is given the opportunity to self - determination and expression, free to reflect and develop their own ideas and values away from partisan influence.
