Thousands of Americans were in the street 250 years ago, protesting extensive infringements on their individual liberty and right to self-govern. The unifying factor in the lead-up to the American Revolution across the 13 colonies was that the populace of the unborn nation was not only informed but involved. Civic engagement and civic education are what birthed this nation, and the road to a brighter future begins with restoring civic education.
Today, political partisanship is at an all-time high, but political efficacy is at an all-time low. The bar to have your voice heard gets raised with every dollar spent in an election. But we still live in a representative republic where, if you stay civically engaged and educated, you can successfully advocate for your beliefs.
The issue: With so much noise and controversy in primary education, how can we effectively prepare the next generation to be engaged citizens?
That is where programs like YMCA’s Youth and Government come into play.
YMCA’s Youth and Government is a mock government and civic education program found in 40+ states. The extracurricular program consists of clubs in YMCA branches and schools, which aim to teach high schoolers about government through a yearly mock government conference.
In North Carolina, that conference occurs every second or third weekend in February at the Raleigh Convention Center. High Schoolers come from across the state to participate in the mock government conference. The conference emulates state government, with a judicial, legislative, and executive branch, the latter of which includes a youth governor. This governor is elected by their peers and leads the program. The program is teen-led, allowing high schoolers to bear the responsibility of leadership in a fast-paced environment like leading a legislative chamber.
I was fortunate not only to have been a part of this program throughout my high school years but also to serve as its 33rd youth governor.
The great thing about the Youth and Government program is that it’s not just for people like me, who have a passion for politics; it’s designed to form civically engaged and educated citizens. Youth and Government empowers students to make a difference. It equips them with life skills from public speaking to advocacy and writing. Students love the program because it helps them find their passion, whether that be in government or elsewhere through the robust media and financial programs. Students also thoroughly enjoy the community that the program builds through nightly entertainment events, such as a Friday Fun Night and a Governor’s Gala on Saturday.
What Youth and Government is doing is remarkable. This year’s conference garnered interest from NC state legislators, mayors, policy analysts, and state officials. It gained coverage on WRAL. There is a reason why this program is so captivating: the idea of a civically engaged, educated, and healthy populace is uniquely American and a prerequisite to a healthy country. Alongside building a civically engaged youth, this program also helps build passion in people, something that is dearly lacking in my generation.
In a world dominated by datapoints, test scores, and a gamified education system, YMCA’s Youth and Government presents a tangible solution to a dire problem. You can’t “game” civic education or civic health; it’s hard to measure and harder to instill through classroom teaching. The way forward is the way Youth and Government presents, learning through experience. The colonists were steeped in the tradition of self-government long before the revolution. We are at risk of losing our tradition of popular sovereignty by ceding authority to interest groups and lobbies. We must regain that tradition of self-government through active civic engagement and education.