National Youth Science Forum

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Program

The NYSF program consists of a mix of scientific, formal, personal development, and social activities. These range from laboratory visits to sports evenings and from a bush dance to group dynamics.

The program is run by students from the previous year’s NYSF, who have been planning and improving the forum over the course of the previous year. These are the NYSF staff and will either have just finished year 12, or first year university. These people will never tell a student what to do, but may make hints in that direction.

Speakers at various forums, debates, seminars and other activities come from outside the science forum, or have been students many years ago.

During the NYSF the students stay at Burgmann College in Canberra and Currie Hall in Perth. ANU hosts the students at the two Canberra Forums and in Perth Curtin and UWA jointly host the program.

A series of seminars are run during the second week of the forum.

Contributors to the Program

Parliamentary Education Office

For the past twenty one years the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) has been educating schools, teachers and students about Parliament, at Parliament House in Canberra. A staff of energetic educators manage a unique and dynamic learning environment, well supported by an in-house publishing team for print, video and multimedia resources.

Each year over 90,000 students participate in PEO role-play programs. The role-play gives students from all over Australia the opportunity to experience what it's like to be a parliamentarian or an official working in the federal Parliament.

The role-play explores the four main functions of the federal Parliament:

• making and amending laws
• representing the people of Australia
• forming the government
• scrutinising the work of the government.

Role-plays are facilitated by experienced educators and take place in a simulated parliamentary setting, complete with costumes and props.

The students from NYSF will participate in a simulated Senate inquiry, where students in the role of senators question the witnesses to become better informed about issues arising from a bill. The senators use the evidence gathered to recommend either that the bill be accepted, rejected or that appropriate changes be made. This will provide NYSF students a look into how the parliament can have an impact on their possible future careers in science and engineering.

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This page was last updated on Friday the 6^th of November 2009 at 10:22am.

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