Cranbrook Kingswood Students Take Legislative Seats in Lansing

From the State YMCA of Michigan: Students from Cranbrook Kingswood High School will leave their classrooms and travel to the State Capitol building in Lansing to act as legislators at the YMCA Michigan Youth in Government (MYIG) conference February 26-March 1 and March 11-14. More than 1,100 students from nearly 70 high schools will debate issues and propose legislation.

YMCA MYIG is a yearlong program for middle and high school students interested in government and leadership development. Leading up to the conference, students study the legislative process and research current public policy. High school students can participate in legislative, political compromise or contemporary issues debates. Students can be elected to the representative, judicial and executive branches of government and can also work as lobbyists.

"The conference gives students a hands-on learning experience," says Lydia Mitchell, YMCA MYIG executive director. "YMCA MYIG works to create informed students who will become the leaders of tomorrow."

MYIG students have helped create legislation that has been adopted statewide, including the vertical driver licenses for those under 21 and the anti-bullying law signed by Gov. Snyder in 2011.

YMCA Michigan Youth in Government is a branch of the State YMCA of Michigan and is open to all middle and high school students interested in government. Scholarships are available. The program began in 1948 and serves more than 2,000 students annually. Some of the program’s alumni have gone on to careers in state government.

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