Notre Dame middle schoolers are making laws in the state capital as part of the YMCA Michigan Youth in Government program.
From left in the front row, Notre Dame middle-schoolers Katherine Schmidt (8), Tess Censoni (8), Marisa Ricci (8), John Jernigan (7), Laura Schmidt (6) and Mariana Ricci (6) are getting the chance to become acting state legislators. LeAnne Schmidt, who teaches 8th-grade Individuals and Societies and 8th-grade Design, and parent volunteer Bradley Jernigan are in the back row.
Katherine Schmidt (8), Tess Censoni (8), Marisa Ricci (8), John Jernigan (7), Laura Schmidt (6) and Mariana Ricci (6) are getting the chance to become acting state legislators. During the three-day and two-night conference, they will work alongside more than 600 other students to share ideas, develop their bills and grow as leaders.
Youth in Government students are given the use of the Michigan House and Senate chambers along with the legislative committee rooms.
Notre Dame 8th-grader Katherine Schmidt works on legislation in the Michigan State House chambers.
Two additional programs also are available to the middle school students in Lansing through which they can explore specific passions. The Contemporary Issues Forum, a debate, gives students the opportunity to research and debate some of the most heated issues of our time. This unique program teaches students how to think critically and debate their opinions in a respectful and thoughtful way.
Another choice for the middle schoolers is the Political Compromise Program, which is the newest of the middle school programs. Students are given a single issue that faces the state, be it vaccines, water rights or stem cell research. Political Compromise participants must represent one of three groups that have an interest in the topic and together reach a compromise in which no single group feels unhappy with the results.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.