PURPOSE: To prepare outstanding, motivated, high achieving young people for moral and political leadership in the American Democratic Process by providing guidance, training, and experience in the theory and practice of determining public policy.

SKILLS FOR A LIFETIME: Youth-in-Government provides students with an opportunity to learn and practice core skills that they will use the rest of their lives including:

·How to conduct research,

·How to build organizational leadership,

·How to apply decision-making and problem-solving skills,

·How to better communicate, debate, negotiate, compromise, persuade, and listen to others.

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY: ·Provides students with opportunities to discuss real world issues and to learn about state politics.

·Prepares students for life through the development of all these skills--making them more knowledgeable, open-minded, and civic-focused citizens who care about others.

·Provides a challenging academic experience and an opportunity for personal development.

THE Y DIFFERENCE: While there are many notable organizations and activities that our youth may participate in, YMCA programs provide students with the unique opportunity to participate in servant leadership. 

Each Y program helps students learn to care about their community, to embrace civic and social responsibility and to display the YMCA core values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility.