Youth Day at the Capitol (YDAC) is an annual event where hundreds of students from across the state come together to learn how to effectively advocate for an issue of their choosing and practice those advocacy skills during a meeting with their local elected official(s).
In 2024, more than 500 secondary students came together to learn about advocacy, hear from Minnesota’s Constitutional Officers and meet with their local legislators. Mark your calendars today to join us on February 25, 2025, for Youth Day at the Capitol 2025! Scroll down for more details.
Different than many other “days on the hill,” YDAC is unique in that youth participants aren’t given a list of predetermined legislative priorities. Rather, they start the day by working in their delegation to identify issues that impact their local community. Youth advocates from Minneapolis will likely end up focusing on different issues than youth advocates from Big Lake or Duluth, for example. All participants attend a one-hour, youth-led “Advocacy Best Practices” workshop and then have the opportunity to practice those skills in small pre-arranged meetings with their local elected official(s).
“I didn’t realize that legislators are willing to meet with people, even young people,” said 2023 YDAC participant Thay See from Como High School. “Now I know that anytime my family or I am concerned about something in our community, we know how to reach out and meet with them about it.”
The Center for Youth Voice leads YDAC in partnership with the Citizens League, the Health Partners Teen Leadership Council, Minnesota Alliance With Youth, the Minnesota Community Education Association, the Minnesota History Center, the Minnesota Prevention Alliance, the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office, the Minnesota Youth Council, and the YWCA of Minneapolis.
Getting Started
Teachers, school administrators, or youth leaders who are interested in bringing a group of young people and who need more information can reach out to Amy Anderson at Amy.Anderson@ymcanorth.org or 612-263-9893.
Register
Please email Amy.Anderson@ymcanorth.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
This page is maintained by the YMCA Center for Youth Voice. Links to other internet sites are provided for informational purposes only. The YMCA Center for Youth Voice is in no way responsible for the content of these sites and their presence on this page should not be construed as an endorsement.
