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The Youth
in Government program was born in the United States in 1936 when the
first ever youth model legislature was held in Albany, New York. In
Minnesota the first Model Assembly was held in 1946. At that time the
only components of the program were the youth House and Senate and a
Youth Governor. The program was then known as Youth and Government and
was only held once every two years. In 1964 Minnesota held model sessions
in April and December and by 1965 Youth in Government had become an
annual event. In addition to the writing and debating of bills student
legislators also contributed to a session newspaper, but at this time
the press corps was not yet a full program.
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the program suffered
from low enrollment which can be attributed to that era’s apathetic
feelings toward government as a whole. The addition of the Page program
in 1972 and a team of assistants to the Governor in 1973 helped to attract
new participants. But it was in 1975 that Youth in Government underwent
one of its most important changes when it added the Youth in Law program
consisting solely of a model Supreme Court. The program was developed
with the help of the late C. Donald Peterson, Associate Justice of the
Minnesota Supreme Court. In 1976 the first full Executive Cabinet program
was instituted followed by the addition of the Attorney General’s
office in 1978.
The 1980’s saw some major program changes designed for the most
part to accommodate the increased number of students that wanted to
participate in the program. The first was the addition of an official
Newspaper Press Corps in 1980. This was followed by the Lobbyist program
which was first offered in 1981 thanks to the help of its designer,
lobbyist and board member Larry Harris. The position of Secretary of
State was added to keep track of bills between the Legislature and Executive
Branches. In 1984 Minnesota introduced its first Video Press Corps,
modeled after similar programs that had been successful in other states.
The inability of the Supreme Court chambers to handle the demand for
participation in the Youth in Law program necessitated the institution
of a Youth Court of Appeals in 1985. This new court program was designed
for 9th and 10th graders and coincided with the institution of an actual
Court of Appeals in the Minnesota judicial system. Also in 1985 the
Freshman House came into being designed especially for 9th graders.
This new program would both introduce first year legislative participants
to the legislative system in a less intimidating setting as well as
eliminate some of the stress on the House and Senate chambers caused
by the growing numbers already in those legislative programs.
Other program additions in the 1980’s included the institution
of a Model United Nations program in 1987 and participation in the National
Affairs Conference, first attended by Minnesota students in 1982. The
Model UN has been held annually in the spring since 1987, culminating
in a three day session in March. The National Affairs Conference involved
a Minnesota delegation of 7 persons in 1982, and current participation
from Minnesota stands at approximately 20.
Youth in Government participants also have had the opportunities to
participate in Model Sessions in other states since 1985. Alabama, Illinois,
Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin programs each have received Minnesota
students as participants in their programs and have sent students to
Minnesota as exchange delegates.
The 1990’s also saw change continue as part of the Youth in Government
development process. In 1991 the Freshman House was replaced by a two
body legislature for 9th and 10th grade students. The Humphrey House
(named after the late Hubert H. Humphrey, former U.S. Senator and Vice-President),
and the Stassen Senate (named after Harold Stassen former Governor and
signer of the United Nations Charter). The Humphrey House and Stassen
Senate are housed in the hotel ballrooms and allowed the legislative
programs to reduce their sizes to the actual numbers of 67 Senators
and 134 House members. The YIG Radio Station aired it’s first
broadcast in January 1991 operating early mornings, late afternoons
and all night to entertain students when they are in their hotel rooms
after hours.
As a result of increasing program enrollments through the 1990’s
and because of the success of the Humphrey House and Stassen Senate,
a third legislature was added for the 1999 Model Assembly; the Sibley
House and Ramsey Senate. Named for Henry Sibley, first State Governor,
and Alexander Ramsey, first Territorial Governor, the Sibley House and
Ramsey Senate also serve 9th and 10th grade participants. In order to
better serve the interests of the delegates and to expand participants
in the government process, the Cabinet and Lobbyist programs underwent
a division into Junior and Senior departments which are better-equipped
to exert their influences on the legislative agenda. A similar phenomenon
began in the Court of Appeals in the mid 1990’s; with the advent
of a one-day Trial Court model to enhance the appellate process for
9th and 10th grade participants.
The development of in-depth leadership training experiences to smaller
groups was added to the Youth in Government family of programs in 1990
with “Boot Camp” – a leadership training camp for
local delegation leaders that developed and evolved through 2001. Beginning
in 2002, the functions of the youth-run State Steering Committee and
Boot Camp were combined into a State Steering Committee Retreat, with
required attendance from all Model Assembly delegations in the state.
Youth in Government conducts several training sessions of Officers and
Appointed Officials of the Model Assembly, Model United Nations and
National Affairs delegation, in addition to the Steering Committee retreat.
These training sessions and retreats focus on the job responsibilities
of program officers; to expand the horizons of youth leaders on responsible
use of authority, power and responsibility.
As the 21st Century began, so began another phase of growth in Minnesota
YMCA Youth in Government. The 2002 Model Assembly Session saw the expansion
of the 11th and 12th grade legislative programs with the singular House
and Senate program replaced by two Houses and Senates. The Kellogg House
(named for Frank B. Kellogg, former US Secretary of State) and Wabasha
Senate (named for a prominent family of Native American tribal chiefs),
along with the Sanford House (titled in honor of Maria Sanford, a prominent
Minnesota educator) and the Knutson Senate (named for Coya Knutson,
Minnesota’s first female US Senator) allowed the program to double
its capacity for juniors and seniors interested in the legislative process.
In 2001, a formal and full-time Conference Newspaper was added to the
Model United Nations program to keep record of the happenings of the
event and provide all delegates with a balanced sense of the happenings
of the international assembly.
For the 2004 Model Assembly Session, the Leadership Corps program area
will replace the Page program and will focus 8th grade students’
experience on leadership development and issues exploration –
helping students think about the topics that affect them, their schools,
their families and their communities.
From its inception in Minnesota in 1946, until 1970, the Youth in Government
program was run by the North Central Area Council of YMCAs. In 1970
the program office was moved to Rochester, Minnesota where the program
was offered as a service to all YMCAs in Minnesota. In 1974, the YMCA
of Metropolitan Minneapolis became the home for the program and has
continued to offer the program on a state-wide basis. With the guidance
of a State Board for Youth in Government, the YMCA hires appropriate
staff that sees to the day to day operation of the programs. The State
Board has traditionally been made up of prominent officials in state
government and concerned individuals from the community. Staffing was
maintained on a part time basis until July 1988 at which time the first
full time state director was hired. In July of 1989 a half time executive
director was hired followed by the hiring of a full time program manager
and part time office coordinator. The office coordinator position was
upgraded to full-time status in 1993 and a part-time program coordinator
position was added to the staff in 2001.
Financially the program has been supported primarily by participant
fees with accounting services and debt protection provided by the general
offices of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis. In 1986, major sponsors
were first sought and generous contributions were received from the
Jostens Foundation and the Thorpe Foundation. Today various individual
and corporate contributions support program operations and scholarships
with approximately $25,000 annually.
September, 2003
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