HR 500

                                               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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