Seventeen Fall Mountain Regional High School students attended the recent YMCA Youth & Government program at the New Hampshire State Capitol in Concord. The two-day event was the culmination of months of preparation, regional caucuses, and a state-wide election for Governor and other key leadership positions. The Model Legislative Session brought together over 300 students from twenty-seven high schools in New Hampshire. The event began with a welcome from Governor John Lynch.

The local Youth & Government program is led by Fall Mountain Regional High School social studies teacher MaryTherese Lester and guidance counselor Trina Carmody. Meeting Waters YMCA’s Program Director Susan Fortier serves as the liaison between the school and the YMCA system. While the New Hampshire program of YMCA Youth & Government is one of the oldest in the nation–currently in its 54th year–Fall Mountain Regional High School has been participating for just the past two years.

The YMCA Youth & Government Program gives high school students the opportunity to learn first-hand about state government by actively participating in a two-day mock legislative session. The program begins each year with 12 District Caucuses organized by YMCA staff throughout the state. District caucuses represent the organizational start of the program by registering delegates, electing regional officers and discussing potential legislation.

During the recent two-day Model Legislative Session, students actively participated by serving in House and Senate committees, presenting Bills they sponsored, debating Bills both in committee and then on the House and Senate floors, and, ultimately voting on legislation. Students not holding elected positions served in the press corps, as lobbyists, or on the State Supreme Court. All activities during the two days took place in the Statehouse and Legislative Building.

At the conclusion of the two-day event Fall Mountain Regional High School sophomore Ian Zimmerman was chosen as one of four recipients of the prestigious Character Award for his values-based leadership within the local program and during the Model Legislative Session. Zimmerman was nominated for the award by FM advisor MaryTherese Lester. In her nomination, Lester praised Zimmerman for actively demonstrating the YMCA’s four core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

The purpose of the YMCA Youth & Government Program is to prepare participants for moral and political citizenship in local, state, or national government roles. YMCA Youth and Government provides guidance, training and an experience in the American democratic process through the form of state government. YMCA Youth & Government is coordinated by the Greater Manchester Family YMCA on behalf of the NH-VT Alliance of YMCAs.