Nearly 80 high school students from across the 10 counties of the 54th Senate District visited Springfield recently to meet with government officials and try their hands at passing laws. It was all part of Sen. Steve McClure’s, R-Springfield, Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where he invited high school students to become immersed in state government for a day.
“This is a chance to develop the next generation of leaders and to encourage them to get involved in public service,” said McClure. “These students get to experience what it’s like to be a legislator and they learn how they can have a positive impact in their communities and across the state.”
The Youth Advisory Council met at the Student Union at the University of Illinois Springfield, where the students learned about how state government really works and functions. They also heard from state leaders, including former Governor Jim Edgar and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.
During the afternoon, the students conducted a mock legislative committee hearing, taking on the roles of legislators, lobbyists and even the Governor.
“It was really interesting to learn the whole bill process and kind of do that myself. As someone who doesn’t think about this type of stuff on a day-to-day basis, it was really fun to think about coming up with my own bill and how the entire process goes,” said Effingham High School Senior Nicole Cruz. “It definitely provided more info into politics and will help me get more involved in the future.”
McClure’s YAC program typically meets once per year. He encourages interested high school students to ask their teachers and principals about taking part in the program.