Welcome back to school and another great program year at OHYG! Advisors, mark your calendar for our program year kickoff call on Sept. 16th. Middle School will be at 4:30pm and High School will be at 6:00pm. See you soon! ... See MoreSee Less
It’s that time again. Applications are open for the Youth Advocate Program! This program is a great opportunity for students to learn about being an advocate in their own community, travel to Washington DC, meet legislators on Capitol Hill, and make friends with other Youth Advocates from across the country. Visit ymcayag.org/yap for more information and to apply. ... See MoreSee Less
The Ohio YMCA’s Youth & Government Program enhances development of the American democratic process for young people through participatory training in the theory and practice of the Ohio state government.
Teens in the program learn about the legislative process, how to write and research bills, and how to participate in elections. Their work culminates in teens serving as delegates at their state conference, debating bills on the floor of the legislature. Some teens have actually made bills into laws!
The YG program seeks to build, encourage and strengthen life assets and character traits that will help teens become involved and responsible adults. All YAG activities are designed with the following goals in mind:
Providing leadership training and preparation to meet the needs of a democratic society
Stimulating interest and awareness of US and state government’s function
Creating opportunities for civic engagement and awareness of prominent social issues
Developing self-confidence and self-expression while fostering tolerance and understanding of others’ point of view
Cultivating the application of moral and ethical valuing processes to public policy making
Notable alumni of the Youth & Government program include:
Former Ohio U.S. Senator John Glenn
State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser
U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin
Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna
Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law Professor
Fmr. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Congressman Dennis Ross, FL
Christa McAuliffe was a YAG advisor in NH before she was chosen to be on the Challenger
George H. Gallup (founder of Gallup Pollng) conducted some of his first state polls with NJ YG delegates
