March, 18, 2019
Every March, Y leaders from across the country converge on Washington, DC to meet with legislators to share priorities core to our mission and to the communities we serve. Key among the topics discussed this year were the necessity of access to quality early childhood education and after school programs as well as chronic disease prevention, to name a few. This is important work and I was proud to be a part of it. What I was most proud of and inspired by, however, was the absolutely knock-out presentations made by the three youth advocates who accompanied our Maryland delegation on this visit.
In its seventh year, the Y Youth Advocate Program at National Advocacy Days engages high school students who are passionate about public policy and advocacy, and who participate in their state Y Youth and Government programs. The goal of the program is to create a learning experience that helps young people understand how advocacy advances civic life.
This year, three Maryland Y Youth & Government students were among the 50 students from 25 states who were a part of the program, the largest number of Youth Advocate participants ever to attend. Y Youth Advocates are fully integrated into National Advocacy Days sessions, including the meetings with members of Congress that serve as the core of the focus. Youth Advocates also participate in separate programming designed to help them learn more about the Y’s community impact, diversity and inclusion and how to communicate their Y story to various stakeholders.
Our Youth advocates were Olivia, a senior at Dulaney High School in Baltimore County, Lintaro, a junior at Montgomery Blair High School in Montgomery County and Alina, a sophomore at Walter Johnson High School, also in Montgomery County. The key legislative topics that they focused on were:
- funding for National Parks Service to continue Y work with low-income families enabling access to national parks, so young people can learn to become better stewards of the land and as a way of providing workforce development opportunities for young people. Over 38,000 young people were afforded the opportunity and access to national parks through this funding in the past, but more is needed.
- funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for Diabetes prevention. Lintaro, the young man who made this case, is the son and grandson of families suffering from diabetes so this is a cause near and dear to him. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 in 10 deaths among Americans annually. By making prevention funding at CDC a priority, we can help reduce chronic disease and reign in health care costs.
- funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (supporting academic enrichment during non-school hours for students in high poverty and low performing schools). This funding currently supports 1.7 million children, but for every child being helped, at least two are waiting to be served.
The preparation, grasp of the topics, poise, confidence and passion with which these students delivered their cases was off-the-charts impressive! If they are an indication of the future of civic discourse in this country, then we can all rest a bit easier. Needless to say, there are many lessons to be learned from these dignified and deeply principled young people. As Dr. Timia Crisp in Congressman Sarbanes' office put it, "You all presented your positions better than many of the people who are paid to do this for a living!"
Many thanks to Michelle Becote-Jackson, Chief Social Responsibility Officer for the Y in Central Maryland, along with Grace Chaisson, Maryland Y Youth & Government State Director and Eric Somerville, Executive Director of Volunteerism and Civic Engagement, for all their excellent work to help prepare and support these young people.
Here’s what two of the participants had to say about their experience:
"Y Advocacy Days was an experience that taught me to value the Y and my place in it. Before, I saw myself as just a Youth & Government kid, but, after seven Hill meetings and weeks of preparation, I am now proud to say I am a Y-Kid. Being able to advocate for any cause or organization is inspiring. But advocating with 49 of my peers made the experience even more invigorating. Seeing Congressional staffers' faces light up when I mentioned my age or how I represented the Y gives me faith in our collective mission. Because of the Y and Youth & Government I gained confidence, and I know that because of my efforts the Y made substantive progress on its 2019 Legislative Priorities. National Advocacy Days was an experience I, or anyone else involved, will not soon forget!" -Lintaro
"I came into National Advocacy Days not really knowing what it was about or what I’d be doing there but I came out with new experiences, knowledge, and friends from across the country. One of the most impactful parts of this trip was meeting with Hill staffers who were as passionate about politics as we are. I have to say, I was nervous going into our first meeting, but when it started it was just like a normal conversation and all nerves went away. I realized that we were there simply to tell our stories and in doing so, helping the Y and hundreds of kids across the US.
Another amazing experience I had at this conference was having discussions and becoming friends with people from all different states. From Louisiana to Michigan to California, my fellow youth advocates had come from all different backgrounds and had so many stories to tell. Yet we all connected because we have the same passion for activism and creating change. We spent an hour discussing problems in our communities and brainstorming ideas to solve them, we could’ve talked all night long. The connections I made with both the students and adults will last a lifetime and be a great asset to me when looking for a job or internship or simply wanting to travel somewhere and needing advice on what to see. I’ll never forget my time at National Advocacy Days because it reminded me why I love the Y, Youth & Government, and why I got into activism and politics in the first place." - Alina
May the adults in Washington please take note!
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland