Not even a pandemic could keep the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) from holding its second annual Youth Congress Day. However, instead of traveling to Annapolis, Maryland, students logged into the event from the safety of their homes.
“Though we shifted the external learning experience to a virtual event to keep everyone safe, our goal of inspiring, educating and engaging students to be active in their communities never wavered,” says Natalie Williams, senior director of communications and public affairs for MBRT.
On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, MBRT welcomed more than 100 high school students from Baltimore City and Allegany, Caroline, Dorchester, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Wicomico counties to its online event. That group of students also included representatives from our Next Generation Scholars, Student Ambassador, and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) programs.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (Baltimore County) touted the benefits of such an event to the students with genuine enthusiasm.
“Youth Congress Day is a phenomenal way of getting a taste of the legislative process, and I’m so excited for you all to experience getting a first glance at what it’s like to be a part of finding compromises to deal with the day’s biggest issues,” said Senator Ferguson.
“Youth Congress Day is a great opportunity to better understand and experience your government,” said Speaker Jones. “My advice to each of you is to take it seriously and be thoughtful about the decisions you make because you never know who is watching and what opportunities may present themselves. One day you may find yourself a part of the General Assembly.”
Following the warm greeting, the Maryland Visitors Bureau showed a video that took students on a virtual tour of the Maryland State Capitol, including the Senate and House Office Buildings.
In lieu of participating in a General Session viewing, MBRT arranged for the students to hold a mock legislative meeting during which the students reviewed and debated Senate Bill 127, Institutions of Higher Education – Use of Criminal History in Admission – Modifications, originally introduced January 13, 2021, by Senators Patterson and Augustine.
“We chose to focus on this bill because many of these students are soon applying to and heading to college, and we wanted them to debate an issue that was relevant to their more immediate future,” adds Williams.
Under guidance from Su Kim, MBRT’s intern and student ambassador coordinator, 10 of MBRT’s student ambassadors were prepared to hold significant roles at Youth Congress Day 2021. Kim practiced public speaking, stage presence and leadership role-playing with the students.
Gabriela Holzer (Prince George’s County) presided over the legislative meeting as Speaker of the House, and Sriya Sogal (Montgomery County) served as President of the Senate. Together, Holzer and Sogal introduced the bill, and Abigayle Spangler (Allegany County) and Rip T. Cornish (Dorchester County) read the bill to the entire student group. The group then split into two breakout rooms with Jenna Dameus (Wicomico County), Ryan Lassiter (Prince George’s County), Syncere Turner (Caroline County), and Heath Hutchinson (Harford County) serving as group leaders to moderate discussion and promote healthy debate among student participants. Gianna Athavale (Howard County) and Ronald Parker III (Kent County) served as secretaries to take notes for their respective groups.
Following a lunch break featuring DJ Heir Raid and a trivia based on legislative questions, students reconvened and each group presented their argument for or against the bill. After Athavale and Parker called for the vote, the students promptly cast their ballots resulting in the resolution being adopted. The final vote was 33 for and 7 against the bill.
“After a successful launch of our Youth Congress Day initiative in 2020, I’m incredibly proud of the team who worked so creatively together to ensure we could once again deliver a meaningful and engaging learning experience for Maryland students,” says Brian Dulay, executive director of MBRT.
Visit MBRT’s YouTube channel to view highlights of Youth Congress Day 2021.
