The Indiana YMCA Youth and Goverment is a
statewide youth educational program involving high school freshmen,
sophomores, juniors, and seniors, in a "hands on" experience.The program has used a variety of activities to build, encourage, and strengthen those life assets and character traits that will help high school youth become involved, responsible adults who are decent and respected citizens. The tool used is a high quality experiential and educational simulation based upon Indiana's State government. The program is very comprehensive, and its impact on the youth participants is dramatic.
Youth and Government teaches the values of democracy by creating citizen leaders from a cross-section of the State's high school population, providing them with the opportunity to experience government first hand and to learn how to solve community problems through the democratic process. The program also helps develop within these youth an attitude of self-help and self-confidence for their personal futures.
How the Youth and Government Program Works?
The Youth and Government program is available to any high school teen in the sate of Indiana. The program operates through local YMCA’s. Groups across the state are comprised of Teen Leaders Club members, High School Social Studies classes, Home School groups, and a variety of other teen groups.
The program begins in the fall. Young people and volunteers throughout the State, meet as individual delegations to discuss issues facing Indiana, as well as ways to implement their solutions through the legislative and judicial processes.
The teen delegates write bills, prepare briefs, select governmental positions to role-play, atttend a statewide training conference, and run for various elected offices. The program reaches its peak in Indianapolis at the State House with the convening of the three day Model Legislature & Court. There, "real" government moves over and the teen delegates "take over", using the historic halls, chambers, and offices of our State Capitol and Supreme Court.
Motto
"Democracy must be learned by each generation."
Mission
The mission of Indiana YMCA Youth and Government program is to ensure that leadership, democracy, and the YMCA Core Values of Honesty, Caring, Respect, and Responsibility must be learned by each generation.
Vision
"The foundation for this effort has been and will continue to be the preparation and participation in the Model Legislature/Court.
We will develop programs that expand, extend, and enhance this purpose, being ever mindful that our programs will involve youth that reflect the diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural populace of Indiana.
Expansion will come in the form of introducing new program models and extending the current program to populations not being served or now served in a limited way. Broadening the cultural and socio-economic base of the programs will be key characteristics of our growth.
We will balance risk with innovation and retain the hands-on approach and quality that makes the program successful."