The Youth in Government program run by the YMCA is available for any students in grades 8-12 from any district, including homeschooled students. There are over 1,400 students across the state of Minnesota who joined to discuss national and international issues they are passionate about. 

The Albert Lea YMCA executive director, April Jeppson, and Albert Lea social studies teacher, Brittany Utzka, are the co-advisers for the program. Much like Mock Trial, the Youth in Government organization puts together a mock government where the students are in charge.

Utzka describes it as a student-run program.

“Where students have a voice, what they’re passionate about,” said Utzka. “They create bills, they create proposals in ways that they want to see their communities, their state, and honestly the world change for the better.”

Students of the program met every Tuesday with a bus available after school to the YMCA. At the meetings, they would talk about what they are going to do and then explain it a little bit more before doing the activity. 

They learn about the American government and how it works as well as words and phrases to adhere to the parliamentary procedure vocabulary which is required while involved with the youth in Government program. The program teaches students the importance of government policies, staying active in your communities, and fighting for what you believe to be necessary. The organization has financial aid and scholarships for students to apply for after joining the program. 

Recently the students and staff of the AL Youth in Government program went on a trip to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, where they got a tour and free time to linger and meet new people. The trip lasted four days and extended over the weekend. The trip was an annual Youth in Government state conference that is held yearly.

While at the Capitol, there were a few hours of evening activities to participate in and the students didn’t always spend their time focused on the program technicalities. Junior Rice Boettcher says they had a lot of fun and said there was time to hang out with other people. 

“There was a craft room that I went to a lot and crocheted,” said Boettcher. “There were photo booths and there was a talent show. There was dancing.” 

Even though there were many students there from all across the state who were there to debate with other students, everyone was polite and kind about their personal ideas. Most students were shy but eventually broke out of their shells to discuss the things they were passionate about.

While Boettcher chose to work in the National Issues Forum and make a proposal related to social justice, all students between grades 9-12 can choose any of the branches including the legislative branch, judicial (courts) branch or the executive branch as well as joining other parts of the program such as ‘Lobbying’ where students work with the legislative branch to influence decisions made. Students can also work in the program to practice informing people through newspapers, broadcasting and the internet by becoming journalists and reporters, working with the program through Media. 

Boettcher chose to create a proposal to stop the genocide happening in Palestine, an international event that spoke to them more than the rest. They chose to work in the National Issues Forum to create a proposal that they believed could make a difference. 

“I was basically just cutting all funding to Israel and unrecognizing it, and joining South Africa’s genocide case against Isreal and sending a billion dollars in humanitarian aid to Palestine and then setting up refugee camps on the borders of Middle Eastern allies,” Boettcher said. 

Proposals are then voted on based on feasibility, national or international importance, creativity, and debatability. Boettcher’s proposal did not pass the first round because others did not find it very feasible or realistic. 

Eighth-graders Emmalynn Jeppson and Lia Broskoff joined Leadership Corps, which is the eighth-grade section of the program. Because eighth grade is the youngest grade Youth in Government is available to, Leadership Corps gives them the opportunity to explore all of their options in their first year. Jeppson and Broskoff got to do a little bit of everything on the trip, from creating and defending bills to arguing court cases and writing media articles. 

Broskoff’s bill to make schools safer did not pass but the bill Jeppson created passed with a large majority vote, her bill was to make transportation free for people with lower incomes. 

After Jeppson’s bill passed, the bills were further narrowed down and those bills were negotiated in front of around 100 students. 

The organization teaches students valuable skills and aspects. They can practice teamwork, problem-solving, public speaking, leadership and more. The program will help students become the next generation of leaders, advocate for change and pursue jobs in government branches in the future.