Youth and Government
Support NJ Youth and Government & Civic Engagement
Since its inception in 1938, the New Jersey YAG program has educated students in civic engagement and public speaking, offering young people an immersive opportunity to learn about government policies and processes. Student delegates write and debate their own bills, explore the various roles and inner workings of the legislative process, and learn skills in leadership, advocacy, community service, and critical thinking. Participants also build self-esteem, forge lifelong friendships, and transform their learning into meaningful future career paths.
Supporting sponsorships will provide more young people from low-income communities the opportunity to participate in this program at no or limited cost. This funding will be allocated to local YMCAs to support scholarships, community outreach, language accessibility, transportation assistance, and tailored support and mentorship services, to ensure that more students have equitable access and opportunity to engage in this transformative program.
If you'd like to help sponsor more scholarships than those listed above, please email yag@njyalliance.org.
What is Youth and Government?
In 1936, YMCAs across the country began the Youth and Government program as a teen leadership exercise founded in the spirit of teaching civic responsibility to new generations of Americans. Since then, Youth and Government programs have been established in 45 states, involving more than 50,000 teens across the country every year.
Included in this number is the YMCA New Jersey Youth and Government (NJ YAG) program, which began in 1938 making it one of the most historic youth programs in the nation. The two and a half day legislative simulation takes place in the historic New Jersey State House, where students debate bills that they have written, forge new friendships and gain a deeper sense of civic awareness.
Our program is different than traditional classroom civics—rather than just speak or read about civic engagement and responsibility, students in YMCA NJ YAG actually get to put their skills to the test and learn through experience. Students get to experience the legislative process first hand by participating as senators, assemblymen, justices, lobbyists, and members of the media in our legislative simulation. Students are able to address issues by writing, debating, and passing legislation all while being in the actual seats of legislators in the State House.
Through our program, students are also guided through positive youth and character development activities. The conference is guided by the YMCA Four Core Values--Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility, which guides the students’ approach to leadership roles and conference planning. Each weekend includes a Community Service project designed to build a theme and foster the tone of service to others for every participant.
YMCA New Jersey Youth and Government aims to show all its participants that they can make a difference by being civically engaged in their communities on a state or national level. Many program alumni have gone on to study at prestigious universities, both in the U.S. and abroad, and have distinguished career paths that include public servant roles as elected officials.
Student Youth and Government website coming soon.
For more information, contact: yag@njyalliance.org
Links
2026 NJ Pre-Leg
March 15, 2026
2026 NJ Conference
April 24-26, 2026
To register for the conference, contact your advisor for the password to complete the above registration.
Resources
Student Resources for Youth and Government (Google Drive)
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