California YMCA Youth & Government

For over 75 years, California YMCA Youth & Government has provided high school youth throughout California an experiential learning program by modeling California’s legislature and courts. The program offers teen youth participants from around the state the opportunity to collaborate with others and build skills such as critical thinking, persuasive public speaking, writing and research. Youth & Government is rooted in the YMCA’s core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility and is a platform for social responsibility, servant leadership and personal development. Our goal is to nurture the next generation of civically engaged Californians, so that they recognize the importance of: Civic Knowledge: High School Delegates begin to understand the structure, function and procedures of California's Legislative and Judicial processes. Civic Awareness: High School Delegates learn to identify the major issues facing their communities. Civic Action: High School Delegates become equipped with the tools they’ll need to make change in their community and can identify the importance of mutual respect, personal responsibility and active listening in group settings. The 76th Model Legislature & Court will bring together more than 1300 youth participants representing over 50 delegations across California. Delegates will participate in weekly local delegation meetings. The program will include multiple conferences, culminating in a February conference in Sacramento where delegates put their training into action as they assume their given roles. Legislation is debated and court cases are decided, as teens apply skills they have gained in the program! For program information, please contact: Ali Sheaffer, Associate Executive Director, at AliSheaffer@ymcaLA.org or Lisa Daddario, Associate Executive Director, at LisaDaddario@ymcaLA.org