Youth Connection | Junior Statesmen of American Take on Winter Congress

By Grace Chai

The first weekend of February, over 200 students from all over the Pacific Northwest travelled to participate in the annual Junior Statesmen of America Winter Congress convention in Portland, Oregon.

Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students develop the leadership skills and knowledge necessary to act as capable debaters, voters, and members of the political community. It is also the largest organization in the United States that is run entirely by high school students. Students meet to discuss issues and topics that routinely appear in the House and Senate, ranging from education and healthcare to gay marriage, and abortion.

Winter Congress is structured similarly to an actual meeting of the United States Congress. Prior to the event, students wrote and sent in bills to be debated and voted on during the convention.

One participant said, “Winter Congress and JSA have provided me with the opportunity to inform myself about issues that are relevant and important to my community, as develop speaking skills that I believe will be invaluable in the future.”

Grace Chai is a junior at . She writes for , a publication of .