Minnesota Youth in Government
This past weekend, Minnesota YMCA Youth in Government (YIG) took over the Capitol building. Minnesota YIG is a youth-led, experiential learning opportunity that involves 1,800 middle-school and high school students each year. It is a nation-wide program, active in nearly 40 states. Across the country almost 25,000 students attend state Youth in Government conferences each year, with 3,300 adult volunteers and YMCA staff serving as advisors. So what did our young people do for the last four days?
• Joined youth leaders from around the state to debate issues and topics of the day
• Listened to delegates with different experiences from around the state.
• Researched public issues and become aware of local, state, national and international concerns.
• Accepted civic responsibilities in various leadership roles.
• Participated in the decision-making process through the bill making process from committees to the House and Senate.
Minnesota is among the top programs, nationally, in terms of quality and number of students. 60% of participants and 55% of youth program leaders are girls. Additionally, nearly two-thirds of all eligible students return the next year.
Minnesota YMCA Youth in Government builds a sense of responsibility and passion for issues, the desire to make a difference, citizenship skills, and values in the lives of teens. Ultimately, Youth in Government programs help mold character in students with a strong focus on leadership development and citizenship-building.
Congratulations to Northfield advisors Mark Thornton and Northfield YMCA director Virginia Kaczmarek and the nearly 20 Northfield students involved in the program.
