From the Cook County YMCA - January 13, 2020 

The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth

development, healthy living and social responsibility, welcomed 1,550 students in grades eight

through 12 to the Minnesota State Capitol January 9-12 for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice’s

Youth in Government program. Among them were four local middle and high-school students from Cook County.

At the 66 th Youth in Government session, the state’s largest hands-on civic education event,

participants from 56 delegations took on roles as legislators, lobbyists, lawyers, judges, justices

and journalists and practiced open government without the confines of partisanship. Youth in

Government brings together a variety of students from across the state to share their perspectives.

• Andrew Hallberg (1st year delegate) participated in Leadership Corps for eight graders which

is an introduction to Model Assembly and exposure to all the program areas. He spent the

weekend creating bills, arguing court cases, writing media articles, and visiting all the

program areas to get the best first experience at Model Assembly.

• Livi Nesgoda, (3rd year delegate and president of the local delegation) served in the Judicial

Branch where youth lawyers argue assigned cases in front of youth justices. She won her

first two cases, won her argument for the third, but the judges rules for the Appellant.

• Aurora Schelmeske (3rd year delegate) was in the National Issues Forum where she

prepared, presented, and discussed national issues with peers in a forum that is focused on

positive debate. After presenting the first day, her proposal moved on to the second

committee and was eventually passed in the General Assembly.

• Chloe Blackburn (3 rd year delegate) spent her time in the Legislative Branch where she wrote

and debated bills. Her bill was passed in the House and the Senate.

There were over 400 bills debated by the Youth Legislature and its committees including topics

such as:

Education – testing, college tuition, school funding, achievement gap

Government – change Electoral College, police reform and regulation

Health – medical marijuana, affordable healthcare

Transportation – helmet laws, funding for roads and/or mass transit

“Youth in Government helps students learn about current issues facing Minnesota,” said Emily

Marshall, Executive Director of the Cook County YMCA. “They also learn to listen to each other

while they share their own experiences, in an environment based on respect and with an emphasis on allowing all perspectives to be heard.”