Support Illinois Youth and Government

Hey look - that's me in the red circle above. It's the only photo I have of me in this program - from 1992. Since then, I've attended every assembly, trained hundreds of committee chairs, served on two boards and - best of all - got to see two of my own kids participate (and win presiding officer 3 times). This program has been a large chunk of my life for years and I'm incredibly lucky to be able to continue to be involved. And to all the alumni that read this - I know this program is important to you, too. Today, we need your financial help.

Every year, students from across the state meet in Springfield for legislative session, present bills that they have created and debate laws. These exceptional students are working to pass reforms to legislative redistricting, expanding renewable energy use, providing assistance to veterans, and so much more.

At this time in our nation, Youth and Government is more important than ever.

Over the past few years, Youth and Government has had to adapt to ensure that students could still participate actively during the pandemic. As the program looks forward to the next year of programming, we need your help to support the students, teachers and volunteers who make this program possible.