HR 500 — A Resolution designating the year of 2026 as the "80th Anniversary Year of the State YMCA of Pennsylvania Youth and Government Program" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.    3154

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 500
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY MEHAFFIE, FLEMING, BRENNAN, BURGOS, T. DAVIS,
        FREEMAN, GUENST, HARKINS, HOWARD, KHAN, McNEILL, NEILSON,
        SANCHEZ AND VENKAT, APRIL 8, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 9, 2026


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating the year of 2026 as the "80th Anniversary Year of
 2      the State YMCA of Pennsylvania Youth and Government Program"
 3      in Pennsylvania.
 4      WHEREAS, It is self-evident that democracy requires an
 5   engaged citizenry and, as Plato famously wrote, "The price good
 6   men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by
 7   evil men"; and
 8      WHEREAS, It is our shared responsibility to maintain the
 9   health of our republic by continually empowering our youth to
10   experience and understand civics; and
11      WHEREAS, This Commonwealth is fortunate to have one of the
12   most impactful programs for bringing democracy to life for young
13   people through the State YMCA of Pennsylvania, located in
14   Harrisburg, Dauphin County; and
15      WHEREAS, In 1946, visionary leaders, including Lieutenant
16   Governor Daniel B. Strickler, in collaboration with the State
17   YMCA of Pennsylvania, launched a transformative program to
18   engage middle and high school students in participatory civic
 1   education; and
 2      WHEREAS, This initiative, known as the Youth and Government
 3   Program, has shaped generations of creative thinkers and
 4   innovative leaders and is the only hands-on, multibranch
 5   government experience of its kind; and
 6      WHEREAS, Eighty percent of individuals who have participated
 7   in the Youth and Government Program report being actively
 8   engaged in civic life as adults; and
 9      WHEREAS, Guided by its enduring motto, "Democracy must be
10   learned by each generation," the Youth and Government Program
11   has brought together students from various regions and ethnic
12   and socioeconomic backgrounds to work throughout the year for
13   the opportunity to be selected to participate in the program in
14   the halls of this Commonwealth's Capitol each spring; and
15      WHEREAS, More than 700 Pennsylvania high school students,
16   having earned leadership roles in the 2026 Youth and Government
17   Program, are arriving in Harrisburg on April 16, 2026, to begin
18   a whirlwind and once-in-a-lifetime experience serving in
19   leadership roles in all three branches of government, the
20   Capitol press corps and as lobbyists; and
21      WHEREAS, In the halls of this Commonwealth's Capitol, these
22   remarkable young people, like the thousands who have come before
23   them, will sharpen their leadership skills, improve their
24   problem-solving abilities and build self-esteem as they learn
25   that their ideas matter and that they can make a difference in
26   the world; and
27      WHEREAS, Demonstrating its deep commitment to ensuring that
28   all eligible students may participate in the Youth and
29   Government Program regardless of financial ability, the State
30   YMCA of Pennsylvania provides scholarships to more than 40% of

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 1   participants, totaling nearly $35,000 this year; and
 2      WHEREAS, This year, the State YMCA of Pennsylvania's Youth
 3   and Government Program celebrates eight decades of impact and
 4   empowerment and its critical role in forming the future of
 5   informed and ethical leadership in this Commonwealth; therefore
 6   be it
 7      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
 8   year of 2026 as the "80th Anniversary Year of the State YMCA of
 9   Pennsylvania Youth and Government Program" in Pennsylvania; and
10   be it further
11      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the State
12   YMCA of Pennsylvania's Youth and Government Program for its
13   longstanding commitment to civic education, youth leadership
14   development and the future of this Commonwealth.




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