      Have you ever heard of a daylong event where young people decide what they want to see happen in New York City? Have you ever heard politicians encourage youth to set their own political agenda? Have you ever heard of an event overseen, initiated, and run completely by high school students? If you answered ‘NO' to all three, then Future Voters of America wants you to come check out the New York City Youth Congress, which is a day of young people discussing and voting on what issues they think are important to New York City. The day starts with local elected officials speaking to young people ages 13-18, encouraging them to speak their mind throughout the day. The day continues with four separate rooms – Youth Politics, Teen Issues, School Issues, and Environmental Issues – deliberating on what resolutions to push for. After a hearty lunch, the day ends with eight resolutions, two from each room, from which two are passed by majority vote at the day's end. Our most well known resolution was passed in May 2004 and was to lower the local voting age from eighteen to sixteen years. Other resolutions include starting a Future Voters Newsletter, opening a pilot Youth Court in South Jamaica, Queens, and bringing more college representatives to public high schools. Read up on our other resolutions here. In our opinion, the best way to find out what the Youth Congress is like is to see it for yourself. It is a day full of energetic and well-thought out, youthful opinions. We hold our Annual Youth Congress in New York City every Spring, and you can get involved in more ways than one! High School Students:You are the voice of the Youth Congress! We usually have a diverse mix of students at the Congress – as they come from all five boroughs, from private, public and parochial schools, and have a wide variety of political viewpoints. Young republicans, young democrats, young environmentalists and young entrepreneurs: young voices at every end of the political spectrum come together to vote on an agenda for FVA to implement. Be a part of this exciting event coming up in the spring! Interns:Our Interns, of all ages, are the meat and potatoes of our administrative staff. FVA relies heavily on the commitment of dedicated individuals eager for grassroots non-profit experience. Our Interns learn more about local politics and city government working for us than any university class can teach them. They work with FVA leaders and elected officials to help implement the resolutions passed at the Youth Congress. If you are interested in joining our Outreach team for the Spring Congress, please contact us before mid-January. Check out more details on your future role as an FVA Intern! High School Teachers:Invite us to your school! We have had no better resource to our organization than teachers willing to enhance the civic component of their students' education with a fun and experiential daylong Youth Congress. We have an outreach team dedicated to presenting the event along with a brief lesson in civics to high school students. We have been recruiting within high schools for seven years now throughout the city – if you don't know us at this point, contact us! We enjoy collaborating with new, enthusiastic faces. |