EXECUTIVE
The Executive Branch Program allows students the opportunity to experience the executive branch of state government in Colorado. During the Model Assembly, opportunities for students to participate include Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Governor’s staff and cabinet, and Lieutenant Governor’s staff. Elections take place each December during the Pre-Leg Assembly to elect the Executive Officers, who then serve for the next year.
LEGISLATIVE
The Legislative Program is based as closely as possible on the Colorado General Assembly. The program strives to turn the ideas of Colorado youth into formal laws by writing, debating, and voting on legislation according to specific rules and procedures. The program also promotes leadership by operating under the direction of both elected and appointed student leaders. The Legislative Program encourages collaboration and compromise as legislators work with participants from other YIG delegations to achieve their goals.
JUDICIAL
The goal of the Judicial Program is to expose Colorado youth to the formal judicial process through pre-trial analysis, discovery, brief writing, and the presentation of a trial to a court of Youth Justices. The program promotes leadership through the election of an Attorney General, appointment of judges, and a Chief Justice.
LOBBYISTS
The goal of the Lobbyist Program is to promote the ideals of civic involvement and leadership. Students engage in research, preparation of issue position papers, legislative proposal packets and persuasive speaking to advocate their issues before YIG legislative committee meetings and one-on-one interaction with members of the Colorado YMCA General Assembly.
YOUTH PRESS CORPS
The Press Corps Program provides students participating in Youth In Government with an opportunity to understand the role of media in a participatory democracy. Print press students learn by doing. Participants engage in the actual skills of newspaper and magazine production: writing, interviewing, commentary, editing, layout, photography, graphics, production, and circulation. The video press corps students also create a video news broadcast for each day of the Model Assembly session.
OFFICERS
Leadership positions in Colorado YMCA Youth in Government are held by student participants who are elected or appointed by their peers. Officers are elected at the annual pre-legislative convention held before the Model Assembly every year. Appointed officers are appointed by the elected officers after pre-leg.
Click Here if You Are Interested in Being an Officer
CONA
Colorado sends a delegation to the Conference on National Affairs in North Carolina, a nationwide conference of YMCA Youth in Government Programs. Colorado will send a delegation in July of 2009.
Click here to learn more about CONA
