Educator Toolkit 2026-27 · Chapter 5 of 12
The conference
Preparing your delegation, celebrating participation, and what students and advisors say.
The Conference
Preparing for the Conference
What advisors need to know before the trip.
Before You Go
During the Conference
Your biggest job is supporting your students. Advisors also help supervise specific areas at specific times so an adult is always present. Supervision is shared, and you can partner with other advisors.
Dress Code
It’s a professional conference, so business attire for sessions and the Capitol, and casual clothes in the evenings. Officers dress formally throughout.
Behavior matters far more than dress code. We only ask people to wear the most appropriate clothes they can. Please don’t buy new clothes just for this, and advisors decide what’s appropriate for their students. No one is judged on what they wear.
Where states differ
Conduct
Respect everyone, debate ideas not people, and follow adult and YMCA guidance. There’s no online campaigning, and no posters or handouts for elections.
Safety
Adults supervise every area of the conference. If anyone is ever in immediate danger, call 911, then contact program staff.
The Conference
Celebrate Participation
Whether or not their bill passes, every student who stands up and speaks in a State Capitol deserves to be recognized. Celebrating them shows other students what’s possible.
Ways to Honor Students
Give a shout-out in the morning announcements.
Have students present their bills to a class, the school board, or the PTA.
Invite your local legislator to hear students’ bills.
Post photos from the Capitol on your school’s website or social media.
Recognize elected officers and award winners at an assembly.
Host a debrief lunch to plan next year’s bills.
Feature the delegation in the school newsletter.
Awards at the Conference
Awards include Outstanding Delegate, Outstanding Bill, and Outstanding Debater, plus attorney awards and named scholarships in New York. Results go out in the post-conference email.
Advisor nominations: advisors can flag students before the conference, but the nominations that count are the ones submitted during the conference, due at 9pm on the second night.
Recognition That Lasts
Students elected at the conference serve as next year’s Youth Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker, and other officers, leading the program for thousands of their peers.
2026-27 Youth Governors
| New York | Joyce Chen |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Shepard Fisher |
| Rhode Island | Ella Procaccianti |
Say thank you, too
Fill out the post-conference survey. Your feedback shapes the next conference, and it’s how we learn what to celebrate.
Ready-to-Use Celebration Templates
Morning announcement
“Congratulations to our YMCA Youth and Government delegation, who spent [dates] debating real legislation in the [State Capitol / State House]. [Student name] wrote a bill to [one-line summary], and [number] of our students spoke on the floor. Ask them about it, and watch for next year’s interest meeting.”
Social media post
Our students just spent [number] days writing and debating real bills at the [State Capitol / State House] with YMCA Youth and Government. Proud of every one of them. [photo]
Tag @northeastyag so we can share it, and make sure every student pictured has a photo release on file with your school.
Invitation to a local legislator
Dear [Senator / Assemblymember / Representative Name], our students at [School] wrote and debated bills this year through YMCA Youth and Government, including one on [topic]. They would be honored to present their work to you for 20 minutes at [school, date options]. Thank you for considering it. [Advisor name, contact]
The Conference
What Participants Say
From 220 recent post-conference surveys across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
97%
would recommend the program to others
96%
would return
91%
better understand state government
89%
can better understand multiple perspectives
89%
improved their critical thinking
85%
are more likely to vote
Program Reach
823
students at the 2026 New York High School Conference, a record
45,000
middle and high school students a year nationwide (YMCA of the USA, 2026)
36 + DC
states with a YMCA Youth and Government program
Educators
It is hard for me to express how much this impacts our students in a positive way; they come back from this different students.
Advisor, NY Middle School
I LOVED the value speeches and the fact that everything centered back on respect for different opinions, as I feel that is so important for kids to hear.
Advisor, NY Middle School
This was my first time, and it was an awesome experience to see these kids in action. To see them debate on what they were passionate about and come up with decisions was a great experience for me.
First-time advisor, NY High School
...for teenagers just learning these concepts I believe this experience is invaluable.
Advisor and former social studies teacher, NY High School
The Conference
In Their Own Words
Students across all three states, from anonymous post-conference surveys, shared as written.
Students
I loved this all it was so much fun and I never noticed that I could speak up and argue well.
Student, NY Middle School
Program is life-changing! Love it so much.
Student officer, NY High School
...I really want to be a legislator when I grow up and I feel like this would be the best way to prepare and to have a better understanding of topic of laws...
Student, NY High School
Best program I’ve been to, really well organized and fun, wished the conference hadn’t ended!
Student, NY High School
...I really enjoyed this conference and the experience that I had with it!!
Student, Connecticut
I look forward to seeing how this program develops in the future.
Student officer, Rhode Island
And One More from an Advisor
Many have asked about bringing the program to the HS next year and continued to speak about the program for days. Thank you to your organization and staff for providing such a wonderful opportunity for our students!
Advisor, NY Middle School
Use these in your pitch
The stats and quotes on these two pages are yours to use in a proposal to administrators, a parent letter, or a school board update. Ask Drew for the full survey summary.
Have a story?
If a student or parent says something that captures the program, send it to dcaldwell@ymcanys.org. With permission, we share stories in advisor emails and on nysyag.org.
Quotes are from anonymous post-conference surveys, 2024 to 2026, shared as written.