(YELLOWKNIFE, NT) April 29, 2011 – Nineteen high school students from across the North will take part in Youth Parliament 2011 beginning on Monday, May 2 at the Legislative Assembly building in Yellowknife. The students will participate in three days of meetings and briefings in preparation for the Youth Parliament Session during which they assume the roles of their respective Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Speaker Paul Delorey says, “For over a decade, Youth Parliament has been a proud Northern tradition among high school students; it is an excellent program that develops student awareness of Northern civics. At the same time, it builds on a student’s natural leadership skills and provides opportunity for personal growth in areas such as public speaking, writing, research, and interpersonal skills.”
Youth Parliament is one of several educational outreach programs offered at the Legislative Assembly through the Office of the Speaker. The program is aimed at educating Northern youth about consensus government, with an emphasis on the Assembly operations, its function and history, and the important role the institution holds in the NWT.
The participants, by constituency, are:
Deh Cho – Mr. Spencer Bonnetrouge
Frame Lake – Mr. Matt Nguyen Ha
Great Slave – Mr. Robert Doak
Hay River North – Ms. Chelsea Larkin
Hay River South – Mr. Patrick Smith
Inuvik Boot Lake – Ms. Euodia Mutua
Inuvik Twin Lakes – Ms. Alison McDonald
Kam Lake – Ms. Kassidy Blampied
Mackenzie Delta – Ms. Alannis McKee
Monfwi – Ms. Magdalene Steinwand
Nahendeh – Mr. Timothy Gargan-Lacasse
Nunakput - Ms. Rhea Klengenberg
Range Lake – Mr. Steve Norbert Gomes
Sahtu – Ms. Michelle Krutko
Thebacha – Ms. Emily Sturgeon
Tu Nedhe – Ms. Annika Olesen
Weledeh – Mr. Jarette Crookedhand
Yellowknife Centre – Ms. Kendall Tecsy
Yellowknife South – Ms. Emily Bevan
The Youth Parliament 2011 session is taking place on Thursday, May 5th, at 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to come watch the Session from the Public Gallery. Media are encouraged to arrange interviews with the students prior to the sitting day.
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Fournier
Public Affairs Intern
Legislative Assembly of the NWT
Phone: 867-669-2218 or 1-800-661-0784
Email: jessica_fournier@gov.nt.ca