Educator Toolkit 2026-27 · Chapter 1 of 12
Welcome
A letter to educators, your role, and how to read the toolkit.
Welcome
Welcome to the Youth and Government Educator Toolkit
Dear Educator,
Thank you for considering YMCA Youth and Government for your students. This toolkit gathers what you need to start a delegation, guide students through writing their own bills, and bring them to debate in the real chambers of their State Capitol.
What’s inside? Key dates for New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, a program overview, outreach templates, FAQs, and three ready-to-use classroom plans. Throughout, state labels show where the three state programs differ.
Why take part? In Youth and Government, your students will:
Research a real issue and write a bill that amends an actual state law.
Build public speaking, argument writing, and critical thinking skills.
Debate respectfully with students who see things differently.
Lead as committee chairs, presiding officers, cabinet members, justices, attorneys, and reporters.
Join a national movement of about 45,000 students in 36 states and Washington, DC, with paths to national conferences and scholarships.
You don’t need to be a government expert. YMCA staff provide the curriculum, training, and support, and we’re happy to lead meetings at your school. Youth and Government is nonpartisan, and it’s guided by the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
We can’t wait to see what your students create.
With gratitude,
Drew Caldwell
Director of Youth Development, Alliance of New York State YMCAs
dcaldwell@ymcanys.org
Your role as an educator
- Reserve your spot with the free Intent Form.
- Recruit students and hold three short meetings.
- Support bill writing and registration.
- Chaperone and celebrate your delegation.
How to read this toolkit
Most of the program is the same in every state. When something differs, look for a Where states differ box and the state tag that matches yours.
Questions at 10pm?
Ask Gavel, the Youth and Government chat assistant, on nysyag.org. For anything else, email Drew or book a call (see “Key Resources”).