Farragut yig expands, seeks partners for conference costs
To do so, Youth in Government founder/president Albert Liu, a FHS senior, is seeking a partner to help sponsor YIG’s upcoming conference in April in Nashville.
“On [Thursday,] April 16, our students will be attending the annual Tennessee Volunteer Conference, where delegates will have the opportunity to sit in the same seats as our Tennessee lawmakers,” Liu said. “We’ve been working for the past semester to draft their own bills to present to students across the state.
“Last year was our first time attending,” he said. “Eight of our students won Best Speaker Awards and advanced their bills to final rounds of competition.
“And, because of their phenomenal performance, Tennessee Youth in Government has invited 20 of our Farragut High School students to attend this year,” Liu said. “However, bringing more members means that the cost of attending increases.
“We are currently fundraising to offset the costs associated with this educational program and we’re looking for potential partners who would align with our mission of empowering students through civic engagement.
FHS’s YIG chapter was started two years ago and is part of a nationwide program “dedicated to providing civic education opportunities to students,” he said. “At Farragut, Youth in Government is the school center for government, public speaking, debate and civic engagement.
“Our mission is to prepare students to be active citizens …” Liu said. “What we’ve been able to give to our students for the past two years has been really incredible.
“At our weekly meetings, we host debates, guest speakers and host talks about current events,” he said. “I’ve watched as new members transform from nervously public speakers to become informed, confident citizens.
“We had one student … who started last year as a freshman — he was one of our members who really didn’t say much — by the time he went to our conference in Nashville, he was one of our members who won a Tennessee State Best Speaker Award,” Liu said. “He’s just one of countless students who we’ve been able to provide quality and civic education.
“Stories like that really make me proud of what Youth In Government has been able to do for our students, but I’m equally as proud of what we’ve been able to do for our community,” he said.
Students have been able to take what they learned at our meetings and activities and apply them to their own communities,” Liu said. “Each election cycle, we’ve connected our members with their first campaign volunteering opportunities, and we’ve had members volunteer in campaigns from local County Commission elections to U.S. Congressional races.
“Just last December, we also hosted our first ever Future Leaders Day Conference, where 30 middle schoolers from around the county came to Farragut High School to learn about constructive debating, public speaking and citizenship,” he said. “Our post-event survey showed that 83 percent of our participants became more interested in public speaking and debate.
“Sixty percent were more interested in readership and civic engagement,” Liu added. “I think one parent really put it best when they wrote, ‘This was such an awesome event. As a political science major, I am so proud of you all and the event you organized. I was beyond impressed …’
“Future Leaders Day was largely inspired and planned by the students who participated in our annual conference,” he said.
“He’s very active in his school and the community,” Rotary Club of Farragut member Tom Woodbery said of Liu. “He is the school representative on Knox County Board of Education [and Farragut Municipal Planning Commission].
“He’s an extremely talented young man, and he wants to talk a little bit about a program that’s near and dear to his heart, Youth in Government.”
