BOYS & GIRLS STATE & BOYS NATION

Premier Summer Program for Juniors

Evergreen Boys & Girls State is not a lecture or an ordinary camp – it’s a hands-on leadership adventure where you get to take the reins. Imagine a week where you and other ambitious juniors from across Washington literally create and run your own city, county, and state. You’ll file for elections and campaign for office, form political parties and build a platform of ideas, and even draft and pass laws to tackle realistic community problems.

This isn’t some stuffy school exercise or pretend student council. It’s fast-paced, real, and eye-opening. One morning, you might be mayor of your city; by afternoon, you’re debating planks for your political party’s platform. Along the way, you’ll gain a first-hand understanding of how decisions are made and discover your own leadership style under pressure. And yes – it’s as exciting and fun as it sounds. You’ll bond with 100+ new friends who are just as motivated as you are (finally, “everyone there was like me” – no one thinks you’re “weird” for caring about this stuff!). By the end of the week, you won’t just have head knowledge – you’ll have lived it, and that “truly changes the way you view civic responsibility and leadership.”