Applications for the 96th Session are now closed.

Submission deadline was November 1, 2024.

Every year, 97 youth aged 16 to 21 from across the province travel to the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria for a five-day simulation of the Westminster Parliamentary System, legislating bills that govern the organization’s community service projects for the remainder of the year, hearing from a large number of speakers from around the community, and engaging in a wide variety of fun social activities.

On this page, you’ll find information on how to apply for the 96th BCYP, as well as some information on what to expect during Session.

How to Apply

  1. Download your application to your computer and rename the file to include your whole name.

  2. Have an organization sponsor you, like a school or a service club. We require five nominators, such as classmates or fellow club members.

  3. Write a personal statement outlining:

    • Why you would like to be a member of BCYP,

    • What type of activities you are involved with in your community, relating to debate, service, and/or public speaking, and

    • How you believe you can personally contribute to BCYP.

  4. Mail it in! There are a number of options for sending in your completed application form and registration fee.

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Late applications may be considered for the waiting list.

See application form for complete instructions on applying. For more information, take a look at our BCYP brochure and our BCYP poster.

Please contact Ambrose Yung at registrar@bcyp.org if you have any questions.

 

Community Financial Assistance

 If you have been accepted as a member of BCYP this fall, and are planning to request financial assistance from community sources (such as a school, service club, business, community foundation, or municipal government) to help cover your registration fee, the letters below may be of use. The first template letter would be appropriate if you are requesting assistance from a group you are a part of — such as your school, a club you are a member of, or your municipal government. The second template would be better to use if you are applying for financial assistance from an organization or business that you have no direct ties to — such as a service club or local business.

Financial Letter Template 1

Financial Letter Template 2

 

The Week at a Glance

Debate

From the three Readings of a bill to Question Period, from parliamentary customs to the etiquette of addressing the Speaker, expect to be fully immersed in the Westminster Parliamentary System during Session as you produce legislation that governs BCYP’s organizational structure and community service projects for the remainder of the year.

Unlike most other debate opportunities for youth, the debate at Session is collaborative rather than competitive, where Members learn to bring their diverse perspectives together to determine and commit to the optimal way of bringing a positive impact to the community. To further highlight this aspect, there are no “party lines” at Session: each Member is free to voice their own consciences.

We also debate Private Member's Resolutions, which are single-issue topics our members can debate. These are often issues of importance to members. Examples can be found here.

Each Member has a free vote in determining what our organization does for the year, and on which PMRs may be passed.

Nightly Activities

Every night, Cabinet plans fun activities where members can get to know each other. These include icebreakers, a penny auction, our "Camp night" where we introduce Members to our largest and most ambitious service project, and on the last night, our dance!

While these nightly activities are optional, we highly encourage them to give members an opportunity to make long-lasting memories..

 
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