NJ Delegation Heads to the Mountains for the Conference on National Affairs (CONA) - July 2026 Newsletter

This summer, our New Jersey delegation traveled to the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina for the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), the national culmination of the YMCA Youth and Government experience. The delegation departed from the Mount Laurel YMCA on June 26, with the conference running through early July before returning July 3.

Held each summer since 1968, CONA gathers roughly 600-700 top student delegates from more than 30 states to research, write, and debate original proposals on issues of national and international importance. More than a debate, it's a weeklong forum for leadership development, connection, and civic growth - giving our students the chance to represent New Jersey on a national stage.

Learn more about Youth and Government here: njymca.org/yag