MIDDLE SCHOOL POLITICIANS AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS

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November 20, 2024

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here. 

Youthful government leaders from Notre Dame Prep's middle school made some noise, passed some laws and earned numerous awards in Lansing last weekend.

Thirty-five Notre Dame Prep middle school students traveled to Lansing last weekend to participate in the YMCA Michigan Youth in Government Middle School Fall Conference held November 17-19 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

According to Dr. LeAnne Schmidt, D.E.T., Notre Dame Prep's head debate and forensics coach, and language arts and U.S. history teacher in the middle school, this trip was the middle school's eighth to Lansing for the conference. 

YMCA Michigan Youth in Government is a student-run, student-led model government program for teens across the State of Michigan. MYIG provides the content and resources for delegations to organize locally to prepare for regional and statewide events. The middle school program has three different areas in which students can get involved: 

Legislature:

The Legislature program is a simulation of the Michigan government. Students write a bill on a state topic of their choice that they could see becoming a law. Students and their bills are assigned to a committee and either the House or the Senate. Throughout the program, the students, acting as senators and representatives, discuss their bill in committee and in chamber. Once the bill passes committee, as well as in the House and Senate, it is then put onto the youth governor's desk to be signed into law or vetoed.

Contemporary Issues Forum:

Students combine into teams of two to compete in a six-round debate tournament. Each year we select a topic for the CIF debate and the Political Compromise programs. Recent topics included the banning of zoos, water diversion changes to the Great Lakes compact and equipping schools with school resources officers. Students debate the merits of the assigned question in a formal timed debate and must be able to argue both sides of the issue.

Political Compromise:

The Political Compromise Program’s objective is to provide students a framework to learn about what quality legislation consists of as well as the cooperation and compromise required to create said legislation. 

Students will meet in committees based on policy areas. They will work together to agree on a topic within their policy area that they will address, then draft a legislative proposal together. A student chairperson will lead each committee. Every student will be assigned to one committee.

Each committee will present their legislative proposal to a General Assembly, which the Assembly will then debate in pro/con style. The assembly will then vote on passage of the proposal. A presiding officer will facilitate the General Assembly.

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In addition to those noted below in photo captions, the following bullet points represent more awards and honors earned by NDP middle school students in Lansing: 

• Eighth grader Steven Carter was named outstanding delegate for the red Legislature. 

• Eighth grader David Shorter introduced a bill that passed.

• Eighth grader Sophia Schoenleber also introduced a bill that passed.

• Natalie Esseily won an outstanding overall delegate award because volunteer judges (Capitol professionals), alumni, and coaches noticed her and commented about how kind and welcoming she was to her peers, how helpful she was for others, and how professional she was.

 

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndprep.org.