August
Program Registration Now Open!
We are so excited for the 2025-2026 Program year to begin! Beginning on August 15th, You can register for program using the following link: https://ymcatexasyg.org/program-registration/
If you are a returner, your YG ID should be in previous emails from Texas Youth and Government, or you can ask your advisor who will be receiving a list of eligible returners with ID numbers. If you are new, select new to create an account in our system!
Please Note: Program materials will not be officially released until August 29th. However, delegates in Appeals and Mock Trial can gain early access to the case material if they register before the 29th.
See our program calendar for the year HERE
Club Leader Orientation
Are you an elected representative of your club, or just interested in being a leader for your delegation? Join us for our club leader orientation on August 27th to learn more from our State leadership about exercising your leadership skills locally. Register Here
Not sure what section you want to participate in this year?
Check out our website to learn more about each section:
Legislative: Legislative – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
State Affairs: State Affairs Forum – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Mock Trial: Trial Court – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Appellate Court: Appeals Court – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Media: Media – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Financial Assistance
Finally, We understand that our program comes with an added expense for your family. We are so grateful to the Sumners Foundation for their gracious funding that allows us to provide financial assistance to our delegates.
You can apply for financial assistance using the following link: https://ymcatexasyg.tfaforms.net/wfy9aWM
We are so thrilled to welcome you to our program and we can’t wait to see you use your voice in YMCA Texas Youth and Government. If you have any questions or encounter any problems with registration, feel free to submit a help ticket here: https://ymcatexasyg.tfaforms.net/172
We are so excited for the 2025-2026 Program year to begin! We know your child will be using their voice to make change all across Texas, and we can’t wait to see their ideas come to life. Your child can register for program using the link below!
Program Registration – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Tips for Success: As a reminder many clubs will delaying meetings till parental agreements are collected. Register early to ensure your set to attend clubs meeting and get started.
Curriculum is Now Live!
We are so excited to announce that all our program material is live! This year we are introducing one-pagers for each section to help recruit more delegates for each section, and help our current or new delegates navigate the sections. These include all the resources they might need to be a successful delegate in whichever section they choose! Look for these links under resources on each section.
Our Trial Court and Appeals Court Cases are also Live! Use the links below to access the case material.
Club Leader Orientation
Please note we have moved our club leader orientation to September 10th in order to allow more youth leaders to attend. Anyone who is leader, elected or otherwise, is welcome to attend and learn more about refining their leadership skills in YG! This will be led by our State Officers, and is a great opportunity to get to know the state leadership as well!
Club Advisor Orientation
Please note our second club advisor meeting will take place on September 8th. If you are an advisor and missed our first meeting, please be sure to attend on the 8th as this is a mandatory meeting for all advisors to make sure everyone has the information you need for a successful program year!
Check out all our section material using the links below:
- Legislative: Legislative – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
- State Affairs Forum: State Affairs Forum – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
- Trial Court: Trial Court – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
- Appellate: Appeals Court – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
- Media: Media – YMCA Texas Youth and Government
Regional Contacts
Each district has a District Director who is here to help with any of your programming, registration or event needs! They are a valuable resource and the first person to reach out to about any questions you might have!
Find your District Directors contact information below:
- Austin Area – Megan Dern – [email protected]
- Houston Area – Tamina C. Allen – [email protected]
- Port Arthur / Southeast Texas – Misty Hanks – [email protected]
- Fort Worth – AJ Rea – [email protected]
- Arlington – Bailey Zawodniak –[email protected]
- Dallas – Jessica Bruda – [email protected]
- San Antonio – Angelica Torres – [email protected]
Need Help?
We’re always here to help! If you have any questions regarding registration, sections, or need assistance at any point this year, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Our team is committed to supporting you and your students to ensure a successful year. You can contact us anytime through our support form at www.ymcatexasyg.org/help.
September
We are so excited that the 2025-2026 Program Year is in full swing! We know you’ll be using your voice to make change all across Texas, and we can’t wait to see your ideas come to life.
What’s New This Year?
We are so excited to announce some changes for our section material this year. Read below to find what’s new in your section!
CANDIDATES
- This year we are introducing a new role for year-round candidates, the District Representative! Each District will be able to elect a delegate to represent their local interests and collaborate with their local YMCA Associations. Any student with at least one year of High school YG experience is eligible to campaign for this role.
MEDIA
- We are introducing new media resources this year to help each delegate become masters at their craft! Check out the new Media Toolkit to find out more!
LEGISLATIVE & STATE AFFAIRS FORUM
- Similar to the Judicial sections, the Evaluation sheets for these sections have been reformatted for the ease of distributing scores and to make them easier to read and understand for evaluators.
TRIAL COURT
- This year we will return to scoring based on the average of the scores for each round, rather than a win-loss system. The scale will still be 1-10, however evaluation sheets have been reformatted to make it easier to pass out feedback to teams after rounds have concluded. See the buttons below to view this year’s cases.
- Check out the explanation for the case using this video!
- Find this year’s case HERE
APPEALS COURT
- We are introducing an oral argument worksheet to help you refine your skills when crafting an argument, as well as a brief workshop to help you put your best foot forward! Scoring will be based on the average of the scores for each round, rather than a win loss system. The scale will still be 1-10, however evaluation sheets have been reformatted to make it easier to pass out feedback to teams after rounds have concluded.
- Find this years case HERE
RAISE THE FUNDS
We are also excited to announce new resources to help you raise the funds to attend District and State Conference.
The Sponsor a Day Flyer is a Calendar that details how to cover the costs by fundraising a certain amount for each day on the calendar.
Financial Assistance Available
We are so grateful to the Sumners Foundation for their gracious funding that allows us to provide financial assistance to our delegates. Please don’t hesitate to apply for assistance. The earlier you do so, the earlier your District Director can get you the support you need!
Regional Contacts
Each district has a District Director who is here to help with any of your programming, registration or event needs! They are a valuable resource and the first person to reach out to about any questions you might have!
Find your District Directors contact information below:
- Austin Area – Megan Dern – [email protected]
- Houston Area – Tamina C. Allen – [email protected]
- Port Arthur / Southeast Texas – Misty Hanks – [email protected]
- Fort Worth – AJ Rea – [email protected]
- Arlington – Bailey Zawodniak –[email protected]
- Dallas – Jessica Bruda – [email protected]
- San Antonio – Angelica Torres – [email protected]
TX YG Website Walkthrough
Program Registration closes October 6th at 11:59PM! Be sure to register before then to avoid late fees and get in all the practice time you can!
We invite you to celebrate Constitution Day!
Today, September 17th is Constitution Day, commemorating the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787. We invite you to reflect on the history of the constitution, the meaning of democracy, and individual rights and liberties. This a great time to have open dialogue with your fellow delegates and other community members!
Every year, Constitution Day is on September 17 and was created to honor the adoption of the United States Constitution. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates from the Constitutional Convention gathered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and signed a new and revolutionary document that would determine the structure of the American government. Approximately a year later, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, making the new United States Constitution valid.
Over 200 years later, the United States Constitution remains one of the most important documents in American history and continues to govern how the country is run. It is vital for students to learn about the Untied States Constitution in the YMCA Texas Youth and Government program because this document also decides the rights of states. The Constitution determines whether certain rights or issues belong in the federal government’s or individual state’s jurisdiction. When students create policies to discuss in the state legislature or prepare arguments to argue in front of the Chief Justice, the Constitution serves as the first rule book they turn to with the Constitution of the State of Texas a close second.
How do I navigate the website?
Use the section below to navigate our website and find the resources you need to have a successful year of Texas Youth and Government!
Starting a new club?
- Check out our Resource Page! Here you’ll find guides for advisors and student club leaders, posters and flyers to help you recruit delegates for your club and more!
Fundraising for District & State?
- Looking for ways to fund your club this program year? We have some great ideas on how to help you raise the funds!
- See our Sponsor a Day Flyer and to help you and your club approach parents, community members, and local businesses so you can raise funds for your club at a local level!
- All fundraising materials also live on the resource page, linked above!
Section Materials?
- To find the section material for each program area, you’ll navigate to their individual pages. At the top of each you can find a memo with new updates for this year, student manuals, and videos. All the way at the bottom of the page, you’ll find the evaluation sheets used to score you, pro con and amendment slips, as well as any additional resources. Be sure to go all the way to the bottom of your section page! See below for each page.
- Legislative
- State Affairs Forum
- Media
- Trial Court
- Appeals Court
Program and State Hand book?
- Want to know all the rules and guidelines before attending? You can review the full Program Handbook and State Handbook online! These have all you need to know from what to bring to conference, to refund policies and more!
Events and Important Deadlines?
- All our trainings, webinars, deadlines etc. can be found on the Event Calendar page! You can find the registration link for each event by clicking into the event box and finding the registration box on the top right!
Club Leader Orientation!
Are you a club leader, elected or otherwise? Check out the video below for all the dates, information, and opportunities you need to know for you and your club to be successful!
Texas Advocacy Cohort
We are also excited to announce that we are now taking applications for our second YMCA Texas Youth Advocacy cohort! If you want to learn more about what it means to be an advocate in your community and how you can refine your skills to advocate for your passions!
This is a great opportunity to network with other likeminded young people, learn from professionals in the advocacy field, and experience something new in the Youth and Government Sphere! Use the link below to learn more and submit an application.
Need Help?
We’re always here to help! If you have any questions regarding registration, sections, or need assistance at any point this year, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Our team is committed to supporting you and your students to ensure a successful year. You can contact us anytime through our support form at www.ymcatexasyg.org/help.
October
TX YG Final 3 Days of Program Registration!
Monday, October 6th is the deadline for regular program registration. This solidified that you are a member of YMCA Texas Youth and Government and then you will be eligible to attend virtual offerings, register for our fall District Conference and participate in our leadership development opportunities throughout the year.
Step 1: Double-check with your Advisor to make sure your registration is complete! They should be receiving a weekly report that includes your YG ID number and registration status. This will help you complete any pending steps! If you still have questions or are uncertain you’ve completed registration, feel free to submit a help ticket!
Step 2: If pending, complete your fall program registration. Open now through mid-night October 6th. Students will need to complete registration in order to register for any YG offerings – this includes virtual events, conferences, and running for office. Don’t forget a $10 late fee will be added after October 6th.
Step 3: Start getting ready for District!
District Conferences are required qualifiers for state conference. Start kicking your practice into gear, editing your bills and proposals, and getting ready to give your best at District Conference! State Conference eligibility is based on rank at district conference.
Please note: All District Conferences this program year will take place on Saturday, November 15th. Registration for District will open on October 8th.
Events Coming Soon!
October is full of offerings for our delegates and you won’t want to miss it! See below for details.
October 9th –Candidate Training
Planning to run for office? This is a REQUIRED training to help you as you kick off your campaigning!
October 14th – Chair/Clerk Training – Planning to participate as a chairperson or clerk this year? Attend this session to refine your skills, learn about the rules and procedures, and ask our section leaders questions!
October 15th – Appeals Brief Training – Have questions on how to write a brief, how scoring works, or just want to understand more about why briefs are relevant to appeals court? Attend our appeals brief training to talk with our section leaders!
October 16th – Judge/Attorney Training – Hosted by our Trial Court and Appeals section leaders and the Judge who writes our trial court case each year, join us to learn more about the role and procedures of acting as a Judge or Attorney in the courtroom!
October 21st – Media Workshop – All media students are required to join us for a workshop with our Media section leader where we talk about elements of journalism, how to craft successful portfolio and more! Media students will brainstorm for their assignments, ask questions to section leaders, and learn more about the media role.
Stay in the loop on everything YG, download our full-year calendar today. Event dates, deadlines and registration schedule all listed.
Texas Advocacy Program
Ever wanted to engage with local leaders in your community, understand the structure of power, and use you passion and voice to advocate for change in your community? If so, the Texas Advocacy Program is for you! We are currently seeking delegates who want to learn more about engaging in civics locally to apply to be a part of the Texas Advocacy Cohort for the 2025-2026 school year! Learn about tools for advocacy, hear from the YMCA’s own lobbyist, and think through the issues facing your community with a group of likeminded peers!
Civics 101
This year, November elections will take place on November 4th, meaning next Monday, October 6th is the last day to register to vote. Remember that in Texas if you are 17, and will be 18 by the time of the election, you can still complete registration! Learn more about the registration process HERE
Elections don’t always mean voting for President or Congressman. Often times, November elections serve to get the publics vote on bills that were signed in the previous legislative session, on proposed amendments to the state constitution, and even the use of local tax dollars in schools or for community improvement projects. This November there will be 17 propositions on the ballot that require constituents to vote to determine if they will become law. These proposals range in topic from tax rates, to healthcare, to water and community infrastructure. To read more about the propositions on the ballot this year, check out this article by the Texas Tribune.
Remember, even if you can’t vote this year, it’s great to engage with the ideas and proposals that affect your community and learn more about the civic process. Civics at its core is about participation, so participate in election by voting and staying informed about the things impacting your community today!
Need Help?
We’re always here to help! If you have any questions or need assistance at any point this year, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is committed to supporting you and your students to ensure a successful year. You can contact us anytime through our support form at www.ymcatexasyg.org/help
