Youth and Government

Program Description

YMCA of San Francisco's Youth & Government works to ensure that youth understand the principles of citizenship, leadership, and democracy, along with the Y's core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. We focus on values-based leadership and civic engagement among youth to strengthen their participation in our democracy. We hope to prepare them to be community change agents. Our program fosters a space rooted in inclusive culture and equitable practices.

The program provides tangible skills that prepare teens for success in their academic and professional pursuits. Various project-based activities work on developing individual skills, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration, and allows participants to share what they have learned. The program offers numerous opportunities for participants to serve in leadership positions, through appointments or elections.

Youth Leadership

Youth voice and choice are paramount to our program’s ability to develop youth leaders. There will be several opportunities for youth delegates to run and apply for positions.

Delegation Officers: Support weekly meeting planning and facilitation. Engage in monthly officer meetings and training sessions. Work with their advisor to provide delegation specific supports and resources.

Advisory Council: Support systems for feedback and delegate satisfaction throughout the year. Plan and facilitate family group time and oversee areas of equity, access, and restorative justice.

Social Council: Plan and facilitate social events. Oversee any delegation clubs, extracurricular activities, or caucuses.

Program Timeline

The program cycle runs from October 2021 through March 2022 (detailed timeline).

Youth delegates meet weekly to discuss current news, deepen their understanding of civic engagement, and prepare for events and conferences. Delegation meeting content is created by delegation advisors, youth officers, and council members. We will utilize virtual platforms; Google Classroom and Zoom. In-person meetings and events will be scheduled based on public health guidelines.

Program Events

October - Community Building and Officer Elections

November - College and Career Panel

December - Teen Leadership Conference

January - Climate Action

February - Community Service

March - Final Conference

Registration Help

Registration opens October 2021!

The YMCA has launched a brand new online registration system. If you try to log into your account and receive an error message, you may need to create a new password. Please follow these directions to successfully set up your account:

Visit community.ymcasf.org
If you are not able to log in with your email address and password, click on “Current Participant”
Enter the same email you have always used for your YMCA log-in
You will then receive a link to create a new Password
Check your email for the link and activate your account

If you have any problems or receive any errors, please email help@ymcasf.org with the subject line: YMCA Community Help and our support team will be happy to help get you set up.