High school students of the YMCA of White Plains’s Youth and Government Club proposed legislation at the Capitol Building in Albany after working for nearly six months to write bills, meet with volunteer attorneys, and conduct a practice presentation in the Westchester Mall.
As part of the YMCA of White Plains’s Youth and Government Club, local high school students of Westchester traveled to the Capitol Building in Albany on March 9 to propose legislation to a group of peers affiliated with YMCAs from throughout the state.
The visit to Albany was the culmination of nearly six months of work to write the bills, including meetings with two volunteer attorneys and a practice presentation in front of invited guests at the Microsoft Store in The Westchester Mall in February. A total of 10 students participated in writing the bills and five went to Albany.
The bills, developed by 10th-12th graders from White Plains and Yonkers, were twofold. One aimed at imposing more strict guidelines on what can be purchased using an EBT card. The other focused on allowing students to receive the educational benefits their parents paid for in taxes regardless of which school district they attend.
Bills were presented formally in front of nearly 500 YMCA Y&G members from all over New York State. While the bills presented by White Plains YMCA youth did not pass, they were named a “premier” group – one of only six in the state to have that distinction.
According to YMCA teen coordinator Cassandra Martell, preparation for the trip to Albany was intense.
“The bills has to be written in a particular format, and include statistics and citations from other cases on the same topic, as well as fiscal implications, consequences, and implementation dates,” Martell said. “All the hard work certainly pays off, though. This project gives students insight in to how our government works, allows their voices to be heard, and is a great opportunity for them to network in a way they may not be able to otherwise.”
Y&G particpant Kristin Sutton, a 10th-grader at White Plains high school, agrees. “My favorite aspect of the trip was meeting people from all over New York. This club gives us a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the confidence to speak in front of crowds.”
Kristin’s older sister Brittany Sutton, who participated in Y&G from 2010-2012, is now a freshman at the University of Delaware, and believes the program helped her get accepted to college.
“Youth and Government was one of the greatest experiences I had as a high school student. It opened my eyes to different views on various issues and it gave me the confidence to stand up for what I believe in,” Brittany said. “It gave me the opportunity to express myself and it truly changed me as an individual for the better.”
