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YMCA CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL AFFAIRS

The YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs was started in 1968 as a follow-up to the outstanding state Youth & Government programs conducted by the YMCA throughout the US.

This program offers unusual opportunities for a young person to do research in the area of National and International concern; to organize this information into a proposal; to engage in intensive discussion and to debate these proposals with understanding young people from other states.

Young people who have participated in the YMCA Young Conference on National Affairs are unanimous in their belief that this experience makes a vital contribution in helping young citizens to learn more about the democratic form of Government.

The objectives of the program are:

  1. To gain awareness of National concerns and issues.
  2. To increase understanding of Federal Government and its relations to State, National and International matters.
  3. To have and use a means for communicating concerns about National Affairs to appropriate persons and groups at Federal Government levels.
  4. To develop increased understanding of needs, responsibilities and opportunities.
  5. To work creatively together with young adults and adults.
  6. To help youth and adults better understand and strengthen their values for living through Christian objectives of the YMCA.

The conference is held in early July at Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina, located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Students are selected during the high school assembly and extended an invitation to attend.