(YELLOWKNIFE)  Friday, May 1, 2015 – The Legislative Assembly is pleased to announce that the 13th Youth Parliament will commence on Monday, May 4th.  Nineteen high school students from across the North will take part in the Youth Parliament program at the Legislative Assembly building in Yellowknife. During the week, the students will assume the roles of their respective Members of the Legislative Assembly. The students will participate in three days of meetings and briefings in preparation for the Youth Parliament Model Session on Thursday, May 7th.

Youth Parliament is one of several educational outreach programs offered by 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 – Ms. Leah Baptiste                   
Great Slave – Ms. Sophie Clark 
Hay River North – Ms. Taylor Maurice
Hay River South – Ms. Grace Clark
Inuvik Boot Lake – Ms. Gabriela Prieto
Inuvik Twin Lakes – Ms. Tyra Cockney-Goose
Kam Lake – Ms. Emily Paddock
Mackenzie Delta – Mr. Trent Villebrun
Monfwi – Ms. Mackenzie Tsatchia
Nahendeh – Ms. Sylvia Pascua-Matte 
Nunakput – Ms. Jasmine Keogak
Range Lake – Mr. Spencer Snow
Sahtu – Ms. Melina Tobac 
Thebacha – Ms. Pyper Rehm 
Tu Nedhe – Mr. Chad Martin 
Weledeh – Mr. Jack Panayi 
Yellowknife Centre – Ms. Hunaifa Malik
Yellowknife South – Mr. Benjamin Karstad
Frame Lake – Ms. Sarah Taggart-Miles

The Youth Parliament 2015 Model Session is taking place in the Chamber of the Legislative Assembly building on Thursday, May 7, at 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to view the Youth Parliament proceedings from the Public Gallery. Media are encouraged to arrange interviews with the students prior to the sitting day.

For more information, please contact:

Kaitlyn Vician
Public Affairs and Communications Advisor
Legislative Assembly of the NWT
Phone: 867-669-2230 or 1-800-661-0784
Email: kaitlyn_vician@gov.nt.ca