Youth and Government: Student Experiences

“Youth and Government (YAG) is a vital club in many schools. You create lifelong friendships and skills by being involved in this club. Getting to go every year is a privilege and it is never taken for granted here. There are many parts of YAG that you can choose to be a part of. You can choose between press, legislative, or judicial. All of these work together to form a mock government. With all of these groups, we can act out all of the things our government does. This gives new ways to learn and new experiences. YAG can be considered a “boring” club to some students, but it is one of the most fun clubs you can join. I am in the press and have been in legislative. 

In press, we write articles about bills, take pictures, make videos, interview people, run social media accounts, and capture everyone in action. This part of YAG is very hands-on and super fun. You can meet many new people this way and learn from people in other branches.” -Michelle 

“Joining Youth and Government at a young age is often extremely eye-opening.  It provides students insight to a facet of the world that they have not yet experienced, forcing them to engage with it in new and innovative ways.  Through the program, one must learn a variety of things; to develop a passion, to justify that passion, and to respond accordingly to its opposition.  The pursuit of these goals inspires students to develop new streams of thought, to examine the world around them from every possible angle, and to give merits even to those who disagree with them.  Thus, inadvertently, students learn not only to negotiate with and understand the government, but to speak, write, and argue with grace.

Having joined the program at a young age, I have experienced many of these benefits myself.  The program has taught me to be more confident in my public speaking, to craft respectful arguments, and to empathize with those around me. The skills that I learned through the Youth and Government program will continue to be beneficial throughout my adult life.” -Addison