Four days. One hotel. More than 1,500 students, 35 delegations, 20 program areas. One capitol building and one university. These are just a few of the things that make up the YMCA’s Youth in Government program.
Students from all over Minnesota prepare from mid-October to January each year to convene for four days at the Hilton in Minneapolis. Some students even work at the state capitol and Hamline University. More than 30 students from Albert Lea High School took part in the Youth in Government program this year.
Eighth graders are the youngest of the participants. They have their own program called Leadership Corps., which introduces them to all the program areas available to the students in grades 9-12. Students in upper grades also have the option to run for office or apply for an appointed position in the program. Program areas range from media, to courts, to legislation and even international issues.
Jacob Jensen, ALHS sophomore, was the presiding judge of the Court of Appeals. As a judge, he listened to students argue court cases and helped a student jury reach a verdict. He spent much of his time at the judicial center at the Capitol, working in real Supreme Court rooms.
“My favorite part was being there and getting to see where our actual lawmakers work and to see some of the problems that they face,” Jensen said.
The media section of the program includes radio, TV, newspaper and new this year, social media. The social media included Twitter, Facebook, and mass text message updates. The media kept the entire program on top of what was happening during the four days.
In the legislative section, students are required to write a bill, which is a proposal for a law. Alex Syverson, freshman, and Sarah Savelkoul, junior, both participated in the legislative branch.
Savelkoul said her favorite part of the weekend is the dance on Saturday night. There’s also a festival on Friday night for all participants. Syverson said his favorite part of Youth in Government is being independent and learning how the government works, along with making friends.
“Youth in Government is a great experience and I encourage more people to join next year,” Syverson said.
For more information on Youth in Government, contact Dennis Dieser at the Albert Lea Family YMCA.