Kia ora,

The Parliamentary Engagement team are excited to announce that applications are now open for Rito o te Pāremata 2024 – Parliament’s youth reference group. Rito is a group of eight young people who develop and promote an annual project of their choice, with the aim of increasing youth awareness of, and participation with, the New Zealand Parliament.

Take a look at what past Rito groups have done!

• In 2021, the group created Rarapa, a four-part video series that shines a light on the different ways New Zealand rangatahi can engage with Parliament.
• In 2022, Rito members launched an Instagram account to share content with the goal of removing misconceptions about Parliament.
• This year, the Rito members created a poster (attached) that went up across New Zealand encouraging young people to have their say in our democracy.

We’re looking for a range of young Kiwis to join Rito 2024 and would greatly appreciate if you could help spread the word in your school community. Attached is the position description, application form, and a link to our website feature.

This is a paid opportunity, where they will receive the living wage on a casual contract. No experience or knowledge of Parliament is required—just an understanding of how to engage with their peers!

Additionally, they will have the opportunity to provide feedback on other youth-focused resources Parliament produces, represent young people in their community, and the chance to network and gain experience in fields they might be interested in pursuing—for example, social media, communications, education. It’s a great experience to add to CVs!

Who can apply?

They can apply if:

• they are 16-20 years old (as at 15 December 2023)
• they live in New Zealand, plan to live there throughout 2024, and can travel to Wellington (travel costs to and from workshops will be covered).

How to apply

Send submissions with the completed application form (attached) torito@parliament.govt.nz by 11:59 PM, 19 November 2023.

We want to know who the applicant is, what they’re passionate about, and why they want to be part of Rito. The format of their submission is completely up to them!

They could:

• send us a picture
• write a blog
• create amock petition on why they should be part of Rito and get their family and friends to sign it
• make a video
• send us a cover letter and CV
• write a list of ten reasons why they should be part of Rito
• create a website
• write an essay

There’s no right or wrong way to apply, but applications close 11:59 PM, 19 November 2023.

If you have any questions or need any more information, please don’t hesitate to email us at rito@parliament.govt.nz.

On behalf of,

Rito o te Pāremata
Rito o te Pāremata Coordinators | Te Kaituitui o te Rito o te Pāremata