Nashville, Tennessee – Hundreds of Tennessee teens will gather Feb. 23-26 for the first of three YMCA Youth in Government Conferences to be held at the State Capitol and Cordell Hull Building. In its 70th year, YMCA Youth in Government provides middle and high school students an opportunity to engage in first-hand learning about state government. Students can participate in mock activities in each of the three branches of government – legislative, executive and judicial.
The first conference will open Thursday, Feb. 23 and conclude Sunday, Feb. 26. Students from approximately 74 high schools across the state will be represented. The remaining conferences will take place March 30-April 2 and April 13-16.
First launched in 1953, Youth in Government is a program of the YMCA’s Center for Civic Engagement, which serves to educate youth on the processes of government at the state, national, and international levels, in the hopes of beginning what will be a lifetime of civic engagement for participants. Tennessee is home to the nation’s second-largest YMCA Youth in Government program.
About the Y
The YMCA of Middle Tennessee is the region’s leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Inspired by its mission as a worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping people grow in spirit, mind and body, for more than 147 years, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee has been giving people of all ages the tools they need to belong and be well. The Y reaches thousands of people each year, improving the region’s health and wellbeing, nurturing the potential of children and teens and providing opportunities to serve others and support our neighbors.
