Engaging teens as active citizens

Chief Justice Jim Schellaci swearing in swearing in Noah McNelley, newly elected governor for the 2015-2016 YMCA Youth in Government Legislature.”

Written by YMCA Staff Reports

Want to learn about the legislative and judicial process? The YMCA Youth in Government programs are designed to give teens in grades 8 to 12 a real-life, hands-on experience through mock legislative and judicial sessions.

“We are proud to be shaping the leaders of the future through this exciting YMCA program,” said Jerry Courtney, Heart of the Valley YMCA President.

The Youth in Government program includes Youth Legislature and Youth Judicial components. Bills are drafted in local clubs and brought to a mock legislative session in Montgomery by students for consideration and debate among their peers.

In Youth Judicial, students prepare for a mock trial session in Montgomery, offering teens the opportunity to build leadership skills and develop an understanding of case law and the role of the court system in a democratic society.

Since its inception, YMCA Youth in Government has striven to create a lifelong passion for public service. Countless individuals have pointed to the YMCA Youth in Government program as a turning point in their career exploration in such fields as politics, law, education and social services.

Beginning in 1949, Alabama YMCA Youth Legislature has been procedurally designed to replicate the Alabama Legislature. Officials are elected and preside according to rules reflecting those actually in force in the Alabama Legislature.