Y&G Newspaper

Y&G Newspaper

Get the latest stories and updates from the Y&G Press Corps!

2024-2025 Newsletters
2024 September Newsletter
2024 August Newsletter

2023-2024 Newsletters
2024 July Newsletter (CONA)
2024 June Newsletter (GovCon)
2024 March Newsletter
2024 February Newsletter
2024 January Newsletter – Mock Trial
2023 December Newsletter 
2023 October Newsletter

2022 – 2023 Newsletters
2023 July Newsletter (CONA)
2023 Legislative Weekend Newsletter
2023 January Newsletter
2022 December Newsletter
2022 November Newsletter
2022 October Newsletter

2021 – 2022 Newsletters
2022 July Newsletter (CONA)
2022 June Newsletter (GovCon)
Legislative Weekend Newsletter
2022 February Newsletter
2022 January Newsletter
2021 December Newsletter
2021 November Newsletter

2020 – 2021 Newsletters
Legislative Weekend Newsletter

A Note From the 2024–2025 Youth Mayor

IG: @the.ryanting

I’m Ryan Ting, the 2024–2025 DC Youth Mayor. I go to BASIS DC Charter High School, where I lead the Math Club and Programming Club. I’m also a Student Representative on the State Board of Education and volunteer with multiple local political campaigns.

I’m Asian American — my parents are both immigrants, who moved here not just for themselves, but so I could get a quality education and have opportunities I couldn’t obtain elsewhere. My maternal grandfather served as a paratrooper by day and studied law by night, passing the difficult test to become a military judge. He always wanted my mom to learn English and move to America, where he believed the future would be made. She did, and what that taught me was the importance of what we, in America, build and make not just for our use, but for the use of the many to come. 

We stand here at a crossroads. As a generation, our collective inaction may lead to democracy’s decay. We may indifferently walk by old evils — gerrymandering, corruption, and voting inequality — and new evils — deep fakes, online misinformation, and the decline of the press. 

But this program gives me hope. This program gives me hope that there are — and will continue to be — citizens interested in democracy. There will be people who are willing to think critically about their communities, to write bills, to debate them, and eventually to advocate for change.

It is my honor to serve as the 2024–2025 DC Youth Mayor.

Here are three lists of three:

Three qualities to embody: 1) Grit — I am willing to try over and over again to get everything right. 2) Creativity — I can come up with good ideas and have a multidisciplinary approach. 3) Honesty — I will be open to feedback and hold myself accountable.

I want to continue and improve 1) Mock Trial through implementing delegate’s feedback, 2) Communications through digital information centralization, and 3) Our advocacy through connecting delegates to voter registration, public hearings, and the writers of DC legislation

To do that I’ll need three things. 1) Continuous feedback and guidance from Y&G delegates, 2) Synergy with leaders, and 3) Your support.

Register for Legislative Weekend 2023!

Register by February 10, 2023 here!

What is Legislative Weekend?

Legislative Weekend is a two-day conference that takes place March 17-18, 2023 and is the culminating event of the year!  Throughout the conference, students use the skills they have learned in delegation meetings and at the Youth Summit.  Delegates spend Friday and Saturday presenting and debating one another’s bills.  Delegates in the Press Corps cover the conference, write articles, and publish conference newspapers.  Delegates also campaign for office and vote for new officers.  On Friday night, students travel to the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill for Teen Night. Teen Night includes dancing, live performances by local performers, coloring books, and board games.  Conference attendees spend the night in a hotel on Friday night.  On Saturday night, delegates attend the YMCA Youth Mayor’s Banquet.  During the banquet, students celebrate their hard work and receive awards.

When does Legislative Weekend take place?

Legislative Weekend takes place each spring on a Friday and Saturday usually in mid to late March.  This year, Legislative Weekend is March 17-18, 2023.

Where does Legislative Weekend take place?

Legislative Weekend takes place during the day at One Judiciary Square located at 441 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Students participate in a Teen Night on Friday night at the Hyatt Regency 400 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001.

Who participates in Legislative Weekend? How much does it cost?

Legislative Weekend is open to all high school students (9-12 grades) and 8th graders in the metropolitan Washington area who are members of a local YMCA DC Youth & Government delegation.  It is highly recommended that you attend the Youth Summit prior to attending Legislative Weekend, host weekly delegation meetings, or attend weekly teen Student Advisory Board meetings the Bowen Y off W St.

The event costs $35/student.

How can I get involved?!

In order to attend the Legislative Weekend conference, you must join a YMCA DC Youth & Government delegation at your school, participating community organization, or at your local YMCA.

A Message from the YMCA DC Youth Editor-in-Chief

Dear YMCA DC Y&G Delegates,

My journey with Youth and Government has been filled with memorable moments, engaging events, and an inspiring community of leaders. Through contributing to newsletters that captured the excitement of Y&G, I discovered the power of storytelling in celebrating our program’s achievements. As the new Press Corps Editor-in-Chief, my goal is to enhance the quality of our newsletters and build a dedicated team of writers, designers, and creatives. Having a voice is a vital part of Y&G, and I’m excited to showcase that in our publications. No matter the size of our Press Corps, I am confident we can create a platform that reflects the spirit of Youth and Government!

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, visit dcyag.org for more information.

Sincerely,
YMCA DC Youth Editor-in-Chief
Andre Zaretskiy
Basis DC Delegation

A Note From the 2022-2023 Youth Mayor

A Note From the 2022-2023 Youth Mayor

Youth Mayor Address

Youth and Government has been a big part of my life for over two years, it has been with me during ups and downs, and has remained a constant reminder of community, and hope. I have gained so much from my time in the program, and I hope to carry on that tradition. To do so, I plan to implement various new projects, and develop already-existing ones. I have broken this down into 4 main goals:

#1 is to transition YAG back into in-person events. As we have spent the last two years virtual, it is vital that we are able to create safe, in-person events throughout the year. Because COVID is so unpredictable, safety will be the number one priority, but my goal is to connect our community in ways that recently, we have not been able to.

Building off of that, my #2 goal is to ensure the future of this program through recruitment. I plan to continue campaigns that are already in progress, and create new ways for various student communities to be involved. Through this, I also plan to increase social media presence, and make communication more accessible for everyone in the program. 

Goal #3 is to build community service into our political discourse. Being a part of DC, there are so many political-based opportunities including, but not limited to, campaign, voter registration, and poll-worker volunteering. This will not only allow us to be more connected to our greater community, but it will help us grow the pillars of what makes Youth and Government so amazing.

Lastly, I plan to create an entirely new program, which will consist of an election-style event, where YAG members will be able to follow local elections, debate with their delegations, and even hold a city-wide “mock vote” event. This program will not only be held at a delegation level, but a district one as well. This will encourage delegates to debate their ideas, and ultimately be able to have their voice heard.

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