Component School Services News
More Than 80 Youth-in-Government Students Participate in County Service Day
Throughout the school year, students from the Chester,Cornwall, Florida, Goshen, Highland Falls, Middletown, Minisink Valley, Monroe-Woodbury, Pine Bush, Valley Central, Warwick and Washingtonville School Districts participate in the Amy Bull Crist Youth-in-Government Program. Students take part in mock conventions, hold elections and shadow elected officials from local to state levels in government. (Pictured: The James I. O'Neill High School Youth In Government Team)
Every year in April, these students culminate their Youth-in-Government activities with County Service Day. This year more than 80 students participated. Working in cooperation with the Orange County Youth Bureau, arrangements were made for students to “shadow” county officials, allowing them to experience the intricacies of the local government process. Students were given the opportunity to assume the roles of several county officials from County Executive to Family Court Judge, Sheriff and County Clerk, as well as the Director of the County Airport. Several students observed a legislative session in process while others participated in a mock debate about immigration.
Following the action-packed and highly informative morning, the students, their advisors and legislators attended a luncheon at the Brookside Manor.