Youth and Government program allows students to write, pass bills to change the world
Jamea Poge
The mock Board of Education panel listens to people present their bills and vote on whether or not bills get passed on to the Youth and Government Mayor.
Students are joining the new Youth and Government program sponsored by Rec Zone, a program that allows students to become more involved in politics and helping their community through passing bills.
This program allows students to call out issues in their community and offers solutions to them. Its gives students an opportunity to have their voices heard. According to the DC YMCA Youth and Government Website,“Its purpose is to bring the workings of city government to life for the students.”
Meetings are also held in DC, where students from other districts get to work together. Senior Nicole Rojas talks about how students in Youth and Government can share their ideas. “You get to interact with students that you’ve never really met before,” Rojas said. “We all get to come together and start making friends, being more social, interacting overall, we just have a fun time.”
Students will create bills that will be looked over by the legislative and the Youth and Government president and can be passed in their community. The bill will be looked over by a Congress made up of students. It will then be sent off to the House of Representatives.
“If it gets passed in the Council of DC,” junior member Jason Herrera said, “they could potentially have a law they created passed in their own neighborhoods.”
There are currently six members in the program and more are expected. The program is led by senior Aryana Ware. “The goal is to give teenageres an opportunity to just really call out issues in their community,” Ware said. “It really gives you an opportunity to have your voice heard.”
The bills Youth and Government students create will improve their community, school, state, and the nation as a whole. Senior Zarin Baksh said students should join Youth and Government “If you want to have a part in what goes on in your county and if you have an idea you can propose to the class, or if you want to make your public school system better.”
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Catherisa is a senior at Watkins Mill and has been writing for The Current since her sophomore year. She is proud to be one of the Editors in Chief for...
