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2017 High School State Conference: January 26th-28th, 2017
2017 Middle School (Junior YG) State Conference: March 3rd-4th, 2017
This page will continue to be updated for volunteers attending the upcoming 2017 Junior Youth and Government State Conference. Each year we depend on numerous volunteers like you who dedicate their time and energy to help us run successful conferences for over 1500 student participants. Thank you!
Parking Instructions:
State Capitol Map – Parking Instructions
Renaissance Austin Hotel – 9721 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX 78759
For details regarding your volunteer role, please expand the section(s) in which you have chosen to volunteer and you will find all the tips, tools, and resources to make your volunteer experience a great one.
Volunteers in this section may serve as Legislative evaluators who are responsible from duties ranging from: scoring legislative delegates in committees, helping guide students through committee review of proposed bills and discussion and voting of bills, scoring chair and clerk teams, and assisting with procedure in the House and Senate.
Chair/Clerk Evaluators will move between committee rooms to evaluate the Chairs and Clerks of each committee on knowledge of parliamentary procedure, ability to engage the room, and more.
Delegate Evaluators will evaluate all the delegates in a committee room on a variety of factors including preparedness, participation and quality of debate.
Room Monitors will monitor general student conduct. They may be placed in House, Senate, Duran House or Duran Senate Chambers for the duration of a session, or be asked to move between committee rooms.
Training will be provided to ensure each volunteer is prepared for their duties. Additionally, please use the resources below to prepare for volunteering in the Legislative section.
Legislative Section Resources
Legislative Committee Volunteer Description
Committee Debate Chart for Timekeeping
Legislative Basics 4th Edition
Volunteers in this section serve as Court Evaluators and evaluate 90 minute trials between high school mock trial or appellate teams. Evaluators observe teams in each round, and rank not only the full team, but also attorneys, judges, and witnesses on a scale of 1-10 in a variety of categories.
* Volunteers with a background in the legal field or an understanding of court room proceedings are preferred BUT not required.
Training will be provided to ensure each volunteer is prepared for their duties. Additionally, please use the resources below to prepare for volunteering in the Judicial section.
Judicial Section Resources
2016-2017 Trial Case – NEW as of November 2016
Judicial Case Memo
Trial Court Tips for Evaluators
Trial Court Evaluation Forms
Trial Court Evaluation Cheat Sheet
Trial Procedure Rules 2016
Rules of Evidence
Appellate Tips for Evaluators
Appellate Evaluation Form
Appellate Evaluator Comment Form
Volunteers in this section will assist in the ranking and scoring of proposals by passing out score sheets, collecting score sheets, tabulating scores throughout the day and evaluating chair and clerk teams. Training will be provided to ensure each volunteer is prepared for their duties.
We greatly value any volunteer willing to assist and help with the massive workload this conference requires. General Conference Volunteers can sign up to work at the information booth, help with check in, set up, lunch and afternoon clean up, and/or loading/unloading of buses. Volunteer shifts will be at various locations.
We appreciate our engaged alumni and their efforts to remain involved in Y&G as club advisors, volunteers, and experts on the program. Below are the State Conference volunteer opportunities for our young alumni.
Recent High School Graduates: To maintain the fairness and integrity of the program, we ask that our newest alumni sit out at least one program cycle year before registering to volunteer at the High School State Conference. So, this would mean that college freshman would not be eligible to volunteer at either the High School or Middle School State Conferences. We value your experience and appreciate your willingness to help; however, we want to ensure that recent high school graduates are seen as experienced Y&G alumni and not as peers to current participants.
College Students (Sophomores-Seniors): Alumni in college do have the opportunity to volunteer in a limited capacity; that capacity/responsibility grows as you become upperclassmen.
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If you are a college sophomore, you may be considered to volunteer at the High School State Conference as a General Conference Volunteer. You will not be assigned as evaluators in any section to ensure Y&G alumni are seen as knowledge experts and not as peers to current participants.
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Another volunteer opportunity for college sophomores may be at the Middle School State Conference, where you may serve as an evaluator in sections or help section leaders in some other capacity. This is a great conference to serve as mentors to our middle school students.
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If you are a college junior or senior, you may volunteer at either the High School or Middle School State Conferences. You can sign up for specific sections as evaluators or fill the role of your choice.