Yellowknife (May 12/06) - Youth got a taste of politics at the seventh annual Youth Parliament at the Legislative Assembly last week.

Grade 9 and 10 students from across the NWT represented their ridings as 19 MLAs. They did everything from attending cabinet meetings to speaking in front of their peers inside the assembly.

Charmaine Norman-Goose, 14, and Ashlyn Krutko, 15, took part in the Youth Parliament May 1-5 in Yellowknife. They did all the things real MLAs do, such as attend meetings and speaking to their peers in the Legislative Assembly. - Jessica Gray/NNSL photo

For students from Inuvik, it was the chance to learn about something completely new.

"I wanted to get insight into how politics works... and how a bill or motion is passed," said youth deputy minister 15-year-old Ashlyn Krutko.

She represented the Inuvik Boot Lake riding.

Youth MLA for the Inuvik Twin Lake area, Charmaine Norman-Goose, said she got a lot out of discussing important issues.

"I'm speaking about vandalism in my community, so people know what's really the problem," said Norman-Goose.

Each of the students were from the same community their MLA represents and they took over the same duties - including role-playing as the premier and members of the NWT cabinet if their MLA was also a minister.

Students arrived on April 30 and May 1 and were put straight to work.

But organizers made sure to plan some fun events to help students get to know each other better. "The students went swimming or bowling in the afternoons," said Julia Heyland, public affairs and communications advisor for the legislative assembly.

On the first day, students found out what their jobs were and had help constructing an address on a real-life issue, which they presented to the assembly on Thursday afternoon.

The youth MLAs were coached and given feedback from facilitators like Robert Collinson, senior research analyst for the assembly.

"We want to give them a sense of what goes on in this building and how the system works," said Collinson.

Travel, lodging at the Capital Suites hotel and all food and activities were covered by the legislative assembly.

Most Youth MLAs got the chance to meet with the MLA they represented.

Education Minister Charles Dent said the youth parliament helped students learn about the way the GNWT works.

"It's helped students gain interest (in politics)," he said.