Session
What is BCYP?
British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP) is a youth organization that recognizes every young person’s potential to lead and serve in the community. Sponsored by the Youth Parliament of BC Alumni Society, since 1924 BCYP has provided a forum for young people to develop skills in leadership, organization, public speaking, and the parliamentary process, and to put these skills into practice through service to youth in their local communities.
BCYP is not affiliated with any political party and is a non-profit organization. British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP) is a youth organization that recognizes every young person’s potential to lead and serve in the community. Since 1924, BCYP has provided a forum for young people to develop skills in leadership, organization, public speaking, and the parliamentary process, and to put these skills into practice through service to youth in their local communities.
BCYP is not affiliated with any political party and is a non-profit organization. Membership in BCYP spans one year starting with attending the Parliamentary Session in Victoria in December and continues throughout the year. Members sit in the Legislative Assembly in Victoria and use the parliamentary style of debate to plan educational and service projects, establish BCYP’s financial commitments, and amend BCYP’s governing legislation.
Photo by Chad Hipolito - www.hipphotography.com
BCYP’s Activities
At Session, Members:
Meet young people from all over the province;
Debate Cabinet’s legislation which sets out BCYP’s activities for the Sessional Year;
Debate current local, national, and international issues;
Learn about debating and the rules of parliamentary procedure;
Elect BCYP’s Premier, Deputy Speaker, and Leader of the Opposition for the next Parliament.
After Session, Members put into action the plans made at Session, which usually include:
Volunteer service projects in their home communities;
Group volunteer service projects with summer camps, food banks charity walks, soup kitchens, and other service groups;
Special projects based on annual legislation passed such as summer festivals, children’s day camps and Camp Phoenix;
Fundraising events;
Social activities with other Members.
Who can attend?
Membership
Each year 97 youth are “elected” to BCYP as representatives of their communities. Each applicant must submit an application, an application fee, and be nominated by an organization committed to youth (i.e. a school, community group, club, Municipality or church). Five members of that group must indicate their support by signing the application form.
To be eligible for membership you must be:
Age 16 – 21 (inclusive) as of December 31;
A resident of British Columbia;
Nominated by an organization committed to youth;
Willing and able to participate in BCYP’s activities for one year.
Due to the limited number of seats in the Provincial Legislature, only 97 applicants will be selected to become Members.
Getting to Session
Travel
Transportation for Members living outside of Victoria is included in the registration fee. Those living in the mainland will travel to and from Victoria by ferry and bus. Members who live in the Interior, North, and North Island will be required to travel on December 26 and January 1.
At Session
Accommodations
All Members are provided accommodations in Victoria for the nights of December 27 to 30 (inclusive) at the Marriott Hotel Inner Harbour. Members, including those who live in the Victoria area, are REQUIRED to stay in the hotel. Members will be sharing hotel rooms.
Meals
Each Member is responsible for the cost of meals in Victoria. Some dinners will be at assigned restaurants, others will be free-choice. Some meals may also be provided.
What if I have more questions?
Inquiries from applicants, parents, teachers, and nominating organizations are welcomed. Please contact Ambrose Yung, Registrar at registrar@bcyp.org.
You may also wish to take a look at our BCYP Brochure and BCYP Poster.
What to Expect
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..
Application Procedure
The application for BC Youth Parliament contains three parts.
1. Application form, Nomination form* and Waiver form*;
2. [NEW APPLICANTS ONLY] One page personal statement,
which discusses:
-Why you would like to be a Member of BCYP;
-What community service are you/will you be involved with;
-What activites related to debate have you been a part of;
-How do you believe you can personally contribute to all of
BCYP’s events;
3. Registration fee.
Your application will not be considered complete unless all parts have been received.
*Download the linked form and attach to the application.
Registration Fee
The registration fee for each Member is $545. This can be paid through cheque, money order, bank draft, or e-transfer. E-transfers can be sent to payment@bcyp.org. Be sure to include the full name of the applicant in the comments section. Please also email the password for the e-transfer to payment@bcyp.org. A cheque or money order made payable to the Youth Parliament of B.C. Alumni Society can be mailed to the Registrar.
Ambrose Yung, Registrar
Unit B-1211 Roy Road
Victoria, BC V8Z 2X8
Please remember to add name of the applicant in the memo of the cheque. NSF cheques are subject to a $45 fee. Due to short timeframe of validity of e-transfers, they will be deposited. Those who are on a waitlist will have their application fees held onto and returned if they are not accepted.
Members who require financial support can email the Registrar (registrar@bcyp.org) to request a Financial Aid Application. Those who are in financial need are first encouraged to approach school and community groups to contribute to the cost of the application fee. Template letters can be found in the Community Financial Assistance section below. For those who are not able to secure outside funding, a limited amount of financial support is available. Requests for financial aid application must be requested before the submission of the application and application deadline. Request for financial assistance will not impact membership selection. We encourage applicants to submit whatever portion of the application fee they can afford. Requests for financial assistance cannot be considered after applicants have been accepted as Members.
Cancellation policy
Accepted individuals who cancel on or before December 12 will be refunded their registration fee minus a $25 administration fee and minus the price of any non-refundable travel already purchased for them. No refunds will be issued for cancellation after December 12, 2025.
Application Deadline
Applications must be RECEIVED by Friday, October 31, 2025.
The Registrar will notify all applicants of their application status middle of November 2025. Accepted Members are provided with an orientation package prior to Session and are invited to attend one of the Pre-Sessional Workshops held in different regions of the province. The details of the workshops as well as travel and safety information will be announced in the acceptance letters.
Late applications may be considered for the waitlist.
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.