West Virginia Youth Senate President Shane Arthur and Youth Speaker of the House Emma Ballard were honored by their respective legislative bodies at the State Capitol in Charleston on Mar. 8. They were elected by their peers at the 2022 Youth Leadership Association (YLA) Youth Government session and will preside over this year’s session. Speaker Ballard had the opportunity to serve in this capacity before the actual House of Delegates and led the session during its “introduction of guests” phase. This recognition would not have been possible without the contributions of Senate President Craig Blair, Senator Jack Woodrum, Senator Vince Deeds, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, Delegate Roy Cooper, and Delegate Todd Longanacre.
YLA Youth Government (YG) attracts over 300 students from more than 20 high schools across West Virginia to replicate the legislative, judicial, and executive branches for three days in the State Capitol in April, after the actual legislative session ends. Election to statewide office is therefore, challenging and JMHS has had great success in winning these contests for the past decade. YG develops skills in critical thinking, written and spoken communication, and civics.
Anyone desiring to support this program financially or with expertise in government should contact Dr. Scott Womack at swomack@k12.wv.us or via phone at 304-753-5182.
