Queen's Park to Campus
Association members are keen to see an increase in awareness of the importance of Parliament and the work that takes place there. We are delighted to bring our experiences to your classroom, in elementary and high schools and on college and university campuses, and add a real-life element to your history, social studies, civics and politics classes. That is why we have created the "Queen's Park to Campus" outreach program.
In addition to a wealth of experience from whatever line of work they pursued, before and after their political careers, former MPP's have a thorough understanding of the structure and operation of governments and how policy and laws are developed. They can share their stories about life as a Member of Provincial Parliament and make politics come alive in your classroom.
Subjects can be tailored to specific age groups and subject areas. For example, younger students can learn the basics of voting and the differences between the three levels of government (who does what) while older students can discuss issues of the day, learn how policies are developed and changed and even take part in model parliaments. For college and university classes, we can supply members from two or more political parties to provide a lively discussion of past and current political trends and undertake question and answer sessions with the students.
The topics MPP's would be pleased to cover include:
- Elections and the structure of government
How does someone become a Member of Provincial Parliament? What are the differences between the four main political parties? How do you become a candidate for one of the parties? How are campaigns run? How does the election process work? Why is it important for people to vote? - The life of a member of Parliament
What do MPPs do, both at Queen's Park and in their constituencies? What's involved in working on committees or speaking in the Legislative Assembly (e.g., Question Period)? What are routine proceedings, including motions, introduction of bills and member's statements? - Making a difference
How are new laws developed and passed? How are government policies formulated? How can members of the public influence public policy? - The issues
What are some of the important issues of the day (e.g., environmental protection, native issues, economic policy)? What is government's role in dealing with these issues? How has government changed to adapt to changing technologies, increased population and an increasingly complex society?
We'd love to help you bring politics alive in the classroom!
To request a visit from a former parliamentarian, please complete the form below and then submit. Requests will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Please send requests for Fall visits (September to December) by September 30th; for visits in the Winter (January to March), please send requests by January 15th; and for visits in the Spring (April to June), please send requests by April 15th.