When asked what her favorite part of Maryland Y Youth & Government is, 18-year-old Liera doesn’t miss a beat: “My parents are immigrants so it’s a big deal for me to be able to advocate for things I believe in.”
Maryland Y Youth & Government is a model legislative program that teaches high school students how to make government work. They elect their own leaders, legislate their own bills, and lobby for their vision of a better tomorrow.
Given her deep sense of social justice, it’s no surprise that for the last four years Liera has joined 250 of her fellow high school peers in Y Youth & Government in a mock legislative session at the State Capitol in Annapolis.
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Liera’s enthusiasm was so infectious that her 17-year old brother, José, also decided to get involved. Now in his second year, José has progressed rapidly in developing his journalism skills and enjoys the experience of meeting and interacting with new people.
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A teacher at Patterson High School—a Y Community School—“Mr. Antoine” (as he’s called) understands the importance of inspiring the next generation of leaders.
“I do this because it teaches kids to have a voice. I believe it’s vital to have our kids equipped with the skills and judgment to make good decisions.”
For information or questions about Maryland Y Youth & Government or if you would like to bring the program to your school, Y, or community organization, please visit our Maryland Y Youth & Government page.
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