National YMCA Youth and Government

Purpose: To enhance development of the American process by enabling young students to prepare for moral and political leadership through training in the theory and practice of determining public policy.

• YMCA Youth and Government is a Teen Leadership program established in 1936 by the YMCA of the USA with a motto of “Democracy Must be Learned by Each Generation.”
  
  
• Currently the program is held in 45 states involving more than 50,000 teens every year.
  
  
• The National YMCA conducts a Youth Governors’ Conference annually in Washington, DC where delegates meet with National leaders such as the Vice President of the United States, Supreme Court Justices, and their own federal legislators.
  
  
• The National YMCA also conducts a Youth Conference on National Affairs each summer where over 500 of the best and brightest Youth and Government representatives from over 33 states come together for a week to discuss issues of national and international concern.
  
  

New Jersey YMCA Youth and Government

• The New Jersey program began in 1938 in Princeton and since then, thousands of students have benefited from the experience.
  
  
• A statewide Pre-Legislative meeting and a multiple Officers’ Training sessions are held where students participate in workshops on bill-writing, debating, chairing sessions, public speaking etc.
  
  
• Students are encouraged to run for offices such as Youth Governor, Chief Justice, Senate President, Assembly Speaker, Clerk, and Chaplain; elections for these positions will be held during the preceding conference. Students are selected through an application process to positions such as Cabinet Member. Other students participate as a Press, Lobbyist, or Page Corp member.
  
  
• The Legislative weekend is held each spring in the historic NJ State House, where students spend two and half days debating Bills which they have written.
  
  
• Each year leading State legislators have addressed the Opening Session and sworn in the Youth Officers.