Hey guys, my students are really excited to be participating in the Youth In Government conference here in Columbus in April. I'll c/p the details below, but if you'd consider donating that would be wonderful and greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Last year, a coworker of mine at The Graham School (a high school in Columbus, Ohio where I teach Social Studies) grabbed me by the arm and told me that I'd be helping her and several of her students participate in Ohio's Youth In Government program.

What made me particularly suited for this job was that I A) have some general knowledge about local and state government and B) was a living, breathing human being with some time to kill on Tuesday mornings.

In short, not only did I not know what Youth In Government was, I also wasn't positive that it wasn't some kind of scam to deprive me of even more sleep during the school year.

And maybe it is that. But it's also much, much more.

Youth In Government is a nationwide program where thousands of high school students get to participate in the essential functions of government by creating bills, debating court cases, and learning how their state government work. Started in 1936 and run by the YMCA, Youth In Government is active in 37 states and has almost 50,000 student participants.

For three days in April, my 14 Youth in Government students will convene at the Ohio Statehouse to present, debate, and hopefully pass bills of their own creation in a student legislature made up of nearly 700 other students from the state of Ohio. They will become a part of the democratic process from the very seats that actual state legislators make the laws that affect Ohioans every day.

To say that I'm excited about the opportunity to provide them with this opportunity would be an understatement. Last year went better than I could have ever expected, and now we want to give this unique chance to 14 more kids, many from disadvantaged backgrounds that might never allow them this kind of opportunity again.

Please consider helping us reach our goal in the coming weeks. Your donation will help us provide for the cost of the program, lodging for students in downtown Columbus, and food for them while they are there. We really appreciate your time, and will be eternally grateful that you've given these students an experience they will always remember.

You can donate here, and again, thanks a ton guys.