The American Legion Boys and Girls State Conference is an immersive summer program offered to top high school juniors. If selected to attend the week-long experience, participants, also known as delegates, get hands-on experience running the backbone that protects the United States Constitution.
But how did this program start? The earliest form of this initiative, the National Boys State movement, was started in 1935 in Illinois as a way to rival other youth programs worldwide. American Legionnaires Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card started the Boys State movement to educate young Americans on the democratic ideals of our nation.
To this day, every U.S. state except Hawaii has a Boys State program in its American Legion departments. They each vary in content and activities but adhere to the same objective: teaching kids about government from the local to the state level.
Up until 2023, Boys State and Girls State conferences were separate programs; however, the American Legion wanted to keep their program relevant, so they transitioned to be fully inclusive. They have since been working to continue to evolve and be what they call “a living testament to the resilience of democratic ideals in the hearts and minds of the next generation.”
Four of our very own Canyon students, including Alaina Ramey, were nominated to go to California State University, Sacramento for the conference this past summer. Ramey noted that she thoroughly enjoyed her time learning about civic responsibility and making lifelong connections.
She described, “We basically had a student-led government, so the adults there did nothing. We, the students, had to run for offices and for different positions. We had a governor, we had cities, we had taxes; you could even get arrested! It was literally like a real city, a real country… just student-led, and you could completely make your own rules and follow the laws.”
By giving students the ability to run their own mock cities and governments, they had the power to learn what each position did and how they all communicated to create a functioning community.
It also forced them to take responsibility for their decisions and work collaboratively with their peers. Each student made valuable connections with each other, creating long-lasting bonds. Ramey reflected, “I made lifelong friends at this place. I still talk with them… we were able to network and make more informed decisions about what we want to do when we grow older.”
Interested participants must communicate with their high school counselors in their junior year to receive a nomination, and then they submit an application and essay before participating in an interview. Nominated participants are known to be leaders in their schools, and many have a high-achieving academic history.
“We were all nominated by teachers at Canyon. But, we had to do an application, I think there were more that applied, but we were the only four in the final round,” Ramey added. “And then you had to go to the local state post and do an interview. You had to submit an essay, your resume, and stuff like that. In the interview, they asked you specific questions about what you submitted, so you really had to know what you wrote about.”
The American Legion Boys and Girls State Conference is an incredible opportunity for prospective leaders of our country. If you are interested, it is highly encouraged that you reach out to your teachers or counselor to discuss receiving a nomination. You can find more information on their official website.
