What is YIG? Youth in Government (YIG) is a group of students from schools all over Michigan. Students get together in Lansing to talk about ideas, or changes, they would like to see happen in our State. Students write ideas in the fall, before the conference. (This is called ‘writing a bill’ and the High School YIG members will help with this.) When they get to Lansing, those ideas from all of the schools are put together in a “Bill Book.” Next, YIG members talk about, debate, and amend (or tweak) those ideas. The result is a bunch of really great ideas that kids care about. Those ideas then get passed on to the real Congress for consideration.
In other words… you would be participating in a “mock” legislature, or congress. We will actually be at the Capitol part of the time. You will have the opportunity to sit in the chairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives and speak at the podiums.
When is YIG? We will go to Lansing the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Yes! We will spend 2 nights in a hotel.
How much does YIG cost? The cost is varies from year to year. In the past the cost has been between $250 and $300. For the 2022 school year, the Youth in Government program has recieved a grant that allows them to drastically lower the cost. See Mr. Carter for most recent cost information. This covers the hotel room, a t-shirt, the bus ride to and from Lansing, two meals and all of the materials you will need for YIG. There are partial scholarships available for students based on financial need. Applications are on line at: http://myig.org/scholarship-application-60/.
What else will you need? You will need to have 2 outfits that are considered “business” attire. For boys, this usually means a shirt and tie or perhaps a button down and dress pants (no tennis shoes, sweat/athletic pants, or shorts) For girls, the clothing expectation is slacks and sweaters or conservative dresses (no short skirts or tight shirts!) There will be a video about “what to wear” on the website this fall. You will also need some spending money for several meals. In the evenings, students can wear regular/casual clothing.
Please note: All interested students in grades 6, 7, and 8 are encouraged to apply. However, due to the nature of the program, and the maturity level required, students might not be accepted if any teachers have had behavioral issues with the student.