This is YOUR chance!

Have you ever looked at the people in charge and thought, “I could totally do better”? Well, here’s your chance. At Ontario Youth Parliament, you get to make your own rules. From food and health care to speed limits and language barriers, you decide how the world should work… and at the end, we pass our bills straight on to the provincial legislature, so they can see what we think.

But all that debating is hard work, so we’ve arranged to have a little fun along the way. Our theme dance, wild and wacky talent show, and semi-formal banquet give you lots of time to relax and meet some fantastic new friends. If that’s not enough, there’s also a charity auction, our famous Secret Friend exchange, and enough high-powered cheering to leave you hoarse by the end of the weekend!

At the end of each day, slow down and unwind as we participate in Vespers – quiet reflection and discussion about our lives and our spirituality. Vespers offers a safe and fun environment for us to explore the way that we think about the world. OYP delegates are often from a variety of faith and denominational backgrounds, so in our legislative debate and spiritual discussion alike, we try to find common ground rather than emphasizing differences.

Every year at OYP, people show up for the first time, nervous and sweating and unsure what to expect. No one can really explain what happens over the four days that we spend together, but by the time we go home, we end up feeling inexplicably happy and empowered – and we’ve got about 50 new friends from across the province! (Note that side effects of Ontario Youth Parliament include: increased confidence in public speaking, renewed interest in world events, feeling like part of a family, and a bizarre compulsion to sing along to corny retro music.)

So what are you waiting for? If you want to change things, start here. No one ever said parliament should be boring, so come take a chance this February at OYP.