For over 75 years, California YMCA Youth & Government has provided high school youth throughout California with an experiential learning program by modeling California’s legislature and courts. The program offers teen youth participants from around the state the opportunity to collaborate with others, make new friends, and build skills such as critical thinking, persuasive public speaking, writing and research. Youth & Government is rooted in the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and is a platform for social responsibility, servant leadership and personal development. We strive to offer a program where everyone feels a sense of belonging and that we help to support the spirit, mind and body of every individual.

Our goal is to nurture the next generation of civically engaged Californians so that they recognize the importance of:

• Civic Knowledge: They understand the structure, function, and procedures of the California Legislature, including bill development.
• Civic Awareness: They can identify the major issues facing their communities.
• Civic Action: They are equipped with the tools they’ll need to make change in their community and can identify the importance of mutual respect, personal responsibility, and active listening in group settings.

The 76th Model Legislature & Court is planning for an in-person conference year, bringing together more than 1,300 youth participants representing over 60 delegations across California. Delegates will convene on a weekly basis at local delegation meetings. The program will include in-person conferences in November and February that allow participants the opportunity to put their training into action as they assume their given roles. Legislation is debated and court cases are decided, as students apply skills they have gained in the program.

For more information, contact Cristina Casa at ccasas@anaheimymca.org.