TEEN PROGRAMS
YOUTH & GOVERNMENT
Hear ye, Hear ye court is now in session.
Every September the Los Altos Family
YMCA offers Youth & Government for students
entering grades 10th through 12th. Participants
learn first-hand how the state government
works through research, preparing briefs,
writing bills and role-playing. The program
includes two 3-day conferences in the majestic
hills of Paso Robles and culminates in a
1-week conference in Sacramento at the
State Capitol in February. Youth &
Government strives to give youth both the
tools and the character values which will
empower them to solve problems within the
established system of the government.
Participants in the Model Legislature &
Court are provided an arena to test their
beliefs, examine their ethics and broaden
and share their knowledge.
MUN
What is the Model United Nations?
The California YMCA Youth & Government Model United Nations program is a simulation of the real-life United Nations Assembly. Participants in Model United Nations (MUN) will take part in some of the activities that the real U.N. participates in. Delegates will research, debate and establish policies, treaties and resolutions focusing on international issues, including disputes between countries, peace-keeping responsibilities, border crisis, stabilizing financial markets and dealing with hunger, disease and poverty.
Delegations are assigned one or more countries (depending on the number of delegates) that they will represent, and the delegates will research the countries and come to the MUN as delegates from those countries. Delegates can be a part of one of several organizations that make up the U.N., including the General Assembly, Security Council, International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat (for interns only), and an international press delegation. The roles in these different "organs" of MUN are described in more detail later.
Delegates also participate in caucuses which represent different areas of the world: The African States, Asian States, Latin American and Caribbean States, and the Western European and Other States. Delegates will write, debate and vote on resolutions in the GA, and also participate in one of the organs, either hearing memorials (court cases), dealing with issues of human rights, writing newspaper articles, or settling border or territorial disputes. Delegates will be faced with some "crisis" issues that they will be asked to resolve as well.
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