Conferences and Programs

High School Model Legislature and Court

The High School Model Legislature and Court conference is a four-day, three-night conference designed to provide hands-on experience in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The overall goal of the program and conference is to teach, by doing, the governmental process, and to teach the importance of active participation in democracy. Students use the actual committee rooms, House and Senate chambers, and courtrooms in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

Students serve as senators, representatives, media, lobbyists, and attorneys. Students also have the opportunity for statewide leadership positions, including Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs, Presiding Officers, Floor and Party Leaders, and Justices. Students may also run for elected positions, including Youth Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Secretary of State or Attorney General.

More than 1,200 students from 40 schools, public and private, participate in the high school Youth in Government conference annually.

Middle School Model Legislature

The Middle School Model Legislature conference, is a three-day, two-night conference designed to provide hands-on experience to teach the legislative process. The overall goal of the program and conference is to teach the mechanics of the state legislature, and to teach the importance of active participation in democracy.

Students in the Middel School Model Legislature serve as representatives and senators. Students submit bills which go through the legislative process including debate in committees, and the House and Senate. Student legislators use the actual committee rooms and House at Senate chambers at the Statehouse in Columbia.

Middle School Model United Nations

The Middle School Model United Nations program is a one or two semester curriculum implemented in the schools with direction and leadership from the YMCA Youth in Government staff. The program culminates in a two-day Model United Nations conference in April. Student participants work in small groups to study a particular country, and write a proposal that is presented at the MUN conference. High school students provide leadership for this program.

Horizons

Horizons is a weekend conference for high school students that takes place at YMCA Camp Greenville. The purpose of the conference is to provide a safe, nurturing environment in which to discuss the challenges and difficulties facing today’s high school students. YMCA staff and volunteers lead the participants through small group discussions, individual and group dynamics courses such as the high ropes course, and large-group discussions of an overarching theme or curriculum for the weekend. The goal of the conference is to create and strengthen peer group relationships that will help young people resist negative peer pressure and foster positive peer interaction. The theme for this weekend conference is difference each year. Previous themes have included diversity challenges, standing up to peer pressure, stress management, strengthening family relationships, goal-setting and, in 2005, examining the unique challenges facing high school boys and high school girls. For this curriculum, we split participants into single-gender discussion groups with same-sex facilitators.

CONA

The YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA), brings together the best and brightest Youth in Government participants from state programs across the nation. Each state may bring up to 25 delegates to this conference, which takes place at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assemble Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC, the week of the Fourth of July. Participants spend the week debating and discussing national and international issues. Selection to the South Carolina CONA Delegation is one of the highest honors in the Youth in Government program. Delegates are selected based on their outstanding participation in the SC YMCA Youth in Government program. Students may be nominated by advisors, or may nominate themselves. The CONA Delegation Selection Committee considers past YIG participation, overall YIG involvement, advisor recommendations, and uses conference observations to choose the CONA delegation. For more information about CONA for to www.ymcacona.org.