DE students visit Legislative Hall for Youth In Government Program
For 48 years, the YMCA of Delaware has been hosting a “Youth In Government Program” for middle school and high school students interested in government and this weekend, they will have the latest class packed into Legislative Hall.
The 3 day program, put on by the YMCA, allows students who are interested in politics to experience everything it means to be in the government. That includes, drafting mock legislation to deal with issues and learning how to operate within Delaware’s court system.
47 ABC spoke with Vilas Annavarapu, a senior at the Charter School of Wilmington who is also the Youth governor for the program.
Annavarapu tells 47 ABC, “That community of supportive dedicated people is what makes me love youth and government. Sure the program is really fantastic and what it teaches, teaches everybody about engagement and being politically involved but I think more than anything what I love about youth in government is the fact that everybody is so supportive and everybody really cares about your opinions and what you have to say.”
Davon Guyer-Right is also a part of the program. A Junior at Seaford high school, he says a teacher influenced him to join the group and now he’s forever thankful. Guyer-Right tells 47 ABC, “This is a great club I love it. Be yourself I mean if you feel like you don’t have people skills this is the best club to go to.”
47 ABC also spoke with Tough Patterson, who is a Volunteer with the YMCA, and he has been helping out with Youth In Government program for 20 years. Patterson has two kids who went through the program and are now in college, and also has two kids in it now.
Patterson tells 47 ABC, “It’s a great forum for them to talk about current events and more importantly building self confidence build speaking skills build awareness of issues that may be happening elsewhere in the state. I come back every year and I watch these kids grow.these really are the best and brightest kids in the state of Delaware and these are the ones ultimately who change the state and the world.”
This year about 170 students are participating in the youth program. The kids started preparing for it in January.
