YMCA Texas Youth and Government Program Awarded $10,000 Grant from Texas Bar Foundation
A $10,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation will help students in the YMCA Texas Youth and Government program practice democracy in a one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning environment at the State Capitol.
As YMCA Texas Youth and Government (TXYG) plans for its Annual State Conferences held in Austin, a high priority is to give more students from across the state access to the event. This award will help provide conference transportation for participants from areas including Austin, Arlington, Dallas, Coastal Bend, Fort Worth, Houston, Midland, San Antonio and Williamson County
Youth and Government is a nationwide YMCA program, and here in Texas, it’s active in over 130 cities across the state, serving middle and high school students. The High School State Conference will be held Jan. 23-25, 2020, with the Middle School State Conference following on Feb. 21-22, 2020. During the conferences, students will apply their learned knowledge and skills within the judicial, legislative, executive and media program areas.
State Conference programming will take place at and around the Texas State Capitol, where students gain unique access to the House and Senate Chambers, Hearing Committee Rooms, Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and HMS Travis County Courthouse.
“The grant from Texas Bar Foundation allows us to provide transportation for more than 1,900 participants, to and from the Texas Capitol, an experience that becomes very meaningful, especially for participants who have never been to our Texas State Capitol,” said Angela Castilleja, Texas Youth and Government State Director.
“We are so thankful for the Texas Bar Foundation’s ongoing support and investment in teen civic engagement,” Castilleja said. “Over the past few years, because of Texas Bar, we have created vital curriculum and lesson plans for participants helping them gain a deeper understanding of the political process at a state level. Our program is strengthened because of the Texas Bar Foundation.”
Promoting civic engagement and academic enrichment since its inception in 1946, Texas Youth and Government is celebrating 73 years of programming. With the help of grant funding, Castilleja forecasts a programmatic future of diversity, inclusiveness and continued growth. “We have a new five-year strategic plan in place and our hope is to introduce Texas Youth and Government to communities that are currently not engaged with the program. It’s grants like this one that will allow us to support growth and help make programming in new communities a reality.”
To learn more about Texas YG and how to get involved, visit our website using the following link: https://ymcatexasyg.org/
