Youth and Government, or YAG, is a program offered nationwide by the YMCA. It gives middle and high school students an opportunity to become engaged citizens while providing hands-on experience in government policies and methods.
The program initially began in 1936 in New York; however, the Massachusetts branch began in 1983. Originally, it was made to “help youth males gain civic experience,” but over time, the YMCA has grown to be inclusive of “all genders, races, identities, and creeds,” shared sophomore and delegation leader Julius Scott.
Senior and youth leader Thomas Conti described the program as “run by students, for students that…want to do some form of public speaking and in a governmental sphere.” YAG focuses on student development. In each of their meetings, members practice public speaking, debating, and other processes regarding legislation.
Each year, the group spends time preparing bills focusing on an issue related to Massachusetts and the community. Youths from other YMCA programs across the state meet and share their ideas.
The bills are built up until the spring, leading to YAG attending a state-wide conference where “delegates present their bills in front of their peers from across the state,” explained senior Fiona Youmell.
Out of the hundreds of proposals, twelve are chosen through numerous rounds of evaluation. “Different committees rank your proposal based on national importance, knowledge of the topic, presentation, evidence and research, and so on,” said Scott.
Following the state conference, the twelve bills are to be presented at a national level. This meeting, named the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), takes place in July in North Carolina.
Many of the delegates within the program have made it their personal goal to achieve a spot in the top twelve. Shashi Pokhrel, a sophomore at Everett High School, expressed her hopes of presenting a proposal that is well-written and researched to be able to “go past states and make it to CONA.”
The program has additional events, like the National Judicial Competition, which takes place in Minnesota over the span of four days. Students get to participate in a mock trial with youths from around the country, taking on the role of a judge, attorney, or other court positions.
The members of the Malden Mystic Valley Delegation highlighted how much they have been able to benefit from the program so far. With a mission of encouraging the youth to use their voice, while simultaneously forming a tight-knit community, everyone is thankful for the program and is excited to see how it will develop.
“We really want to build a community…where everyone feels comfortable talking, because it’s really difficult to share your ideas and what you personally love,” Conti declared his passion about this program, unifying people with a common interest.
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