Program Description
Youth and Government is a 70+ year old program that has been a staple of the YMCA of San Francisco teen programming. Our Model Legislature and Court program is for all high school-aged youth.
Delegates will meet weekly to discuss current events/news, deepen their understanding of civic engagement, practice the legislative process, and prepare for events and conferences. We are excited to announce that we will be traveling on a few overnight trips this year as teens will have the opportunity to meet their peers from all over California to learn and grow their leadership skills.
Youth Empowerment
YMCA of San Francisco's Youth & Government ensures 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 plan 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 allow 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 2023 through March 2024 (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
To register in Youth and Government, click the registration button below and select your preferred branch location.
Registration Support
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 set up your account successfully:
Visit community.ymcasf.org
If you are not able to log in with your email address and password, click on “Current Participant”
Enter the email you have always used for your YMCA log-in, and you will receive an email with a link to create a new password.
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 set you up.
Program Fees
Program fees are broken down into payments over four months. Scholarships are available; please contact your branch representative for more information. Please note that program fees are non-refundable.
Program Fee Due Dates
Facility Members: $1,600 (payments are made monthly from October-January)
Community Members: $2,000 (payments are made monthly from October-January)
Due on October 1st
Facility Member: $400
Community Member: $500
Due on November 1st:
Facility Member: $400
Community Member: $500
Due on December 1st:
Facility Member: $400
Community Member: $500
Due on January 1st:
Facility Member: $400
Community Member: $500
*Scholarships available upon request
Questions? Please contact the corresponding branch for any program questions:
Bayview Hunters Point YMCA
Jonathan Boone at Jxboone@ymcasf.org
Buchanan YMCA
Precious Ogbonna at Pogbonne@ymcasf,org
Marin YMCA
Nana Sosa at Lsosa@ymcasf.org
Richmond District YMCA
Jackson Livingston at Jlivingston@ymcasf.org
Stonestown Family YMCA
Minh Le at Mle@ymcasf.org
Inquiry Form
Interested in learning more? Complete the form below and we'll be in touch!
People
Precious Ogbonna
Precious Ogbonna is a youth development director at the YMCA of San Francisco and has worked with the Y for the past nine years. She has been helping youth and teens explore the concepts of civic engagement, workforce development, and health equity. Specializing in middle and high school programming, Precious uses that experience to support our young people with their transition into the workforce, understand their civic duties, and transform medical research to be centered around equity.