Youth and Government

Hundreds of driven youth are involved annually with the Youth and Government program in the state of New York. The program is deemed significant and positive because of it's goals to help young people achieve developmental tasks, such as socially responsible behavior, mature relationships with others, decisions about college or occupational choices, political awareness and emotional independence.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the YMCA Youth and Government is to enhance the development of the American Democratic system by enabling young people to prepare for value-based and political leadership through experiential learning. the program purpose is also to create responsible citizenship by increasing awareness of societal problems and demonstrating vehicles for their resolution. As our motto states: "Democracy must be learned by each generation." The experience will help many participants in their choice of a career.  

HISTORY:

The first YMCA Youth and Government program was organized in 1936 in the state of New York. the program originated in Albany during a state Constitutional convention in 1935. One of the early developments in the program design was the inclusion of Legislative Committees which is now one of the strongest phases of the model Legislature. Early in the seventies, the Press Corp program developed as a new component of the YMCA Youth and Government and in 1975 the Lobbyist Program was introduced, opening new opportunities for participation. Today, YMCA Youth and Government is a national program of the YMCA. It involves thousands of teens nationwide in state organized model government programs which include model Legislature, Judicial programs, executive branches, lobbyist, press corp and pages.

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