MANSFIELD — Keeley Weese, a student at Mansfield Senior High School, participated in the Ohio YMCA Youth and Government Assembly (YAG) in Columbus on April 20 and 21.
Weese was accompanied to the Youth and Government Assembly by Kerrick Franklin, Community Outreach Director at the Mansfield Area Y.
The Y & G program is a Y-USA initiative for students in grades 6 through 12 and began in 1936 in New York State through the Albany YMCA. The goal of the program was to develop more leaders of high moral character and integrity.
The Ohio Y & G program began in 1952 and reflects the idea that “democracy must be learned by each generation. Over 300 students from Ohio attended the 2017 assembly.
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 and 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 Polling) conducted some of his first state polls with NJ YG delegate.
The Mansfield Area YMCA stated it is “proud to have sponsored Keeley Weese as our representative to the 66th Ohio YMCA Youth & Government Assembly.”
For more information about The YMCA Youth and Government Program in Richland County, call Kerrick Franklin at the Mansfield Are Y at 419-522-3511 ext 227 or email at kfranklin@mansfieldy.org.
