Recently I, along with five other students from my school, partook in the West Virginia Youth and Government program held in Charleston, West Virginia. This program is sponsored by the West Virginia Hi-Y Foundation. It teaches adolescents a great deal regaurding the West Virginia government system as well as that of the United States of America.

The three day conferance is held at the Charleston House Holiday Inn. Eighth grade students from around the state of West Virginia come to participate. During the conferance, students learn about the three systems of government and tour the West Virginia state capitol.

During the program we were given numerous lectures reguarding government. My personal favorite was a lecture given by the clerk of the West Virginia Supreme Court. We were taught a great deal concerning the judicial branch of government.

During the conferance, counties we fortunate to independently sit in on House of Delegate and Senate meetings. Before attending these meetings, students learned the process from which a bill is transformed into a law.

Thanks to the attourneys from the Jackson Kelly Law Firm, we as students were also fortunate to engage and witness a mock trial. The attourneys were kind enough to explain the process to students in a clear way that was easily understood.

Students also vistited the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building. We learned that this was the first building constructed following the Oklahoma City bombing. Therefore, security was to the maximum.

On the final night of the conferance students were given the opportunity to have dinner with their district representatives. At this time many students addressed issues that they felt were quite prominent to our state. We also had the opportunity to inquire of which bills our local representitives were hoping to see passed during the legislative session.

Overall, I found the experience of Youth and Government to be very enlightening. The information I have aquired during the seminar will most likely serve as a valuable asset during my lifetime. I was also fortunate to meet a great deal of outstanding individuals from around the state that I hope to keep in contact with for many years to come. If given the oppurtunity to participate, I vastly encourage any student to do so. Youth and Government provides the proper foundation for students to excel in society.