TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A Buckeye tradition for nearly 90 years is extending opportunities for high school students.
“These young people are the ones that are our future. To help develop our future leaders of our country, it is important that we keep them in the forefront,” David Ridenour a trustee with Buckeye Boys State said.
That is exactly what Buckeye Boys and Girls State has done for decades. The premise is simple.
“Promote patriotism, knowledge of government and develop leadership,” David Ridenour said.
But the logistics are a lot more complex.
This summer, more than 900 high school juniors will attend the eight-day program. Girls State will be at Bowling Green State University and Boys State will be at Miami University.
“It is a hands-on program, these students are not going to sit in a classroom and learn about government by somebody just talking to them about it. They are actually going to do it,” Jane Ridenour, a public relations staff member with Buckeye Girls State said.
Through the program, the delegates will break into cities, form counties and eventually the state of Ohio. All running governments and holding positions from school board members and State Highway Patrol troopers to elected positions like county commissioners and even the governor.
But before all of that can happen, students have to apply and interview for a spot in the program.
Recently, the American Legion moved to allow interviews from even more private schools and from home-schooled students.
“It is important that everyone has that opportunity,” David Ridenour said.
The deadline for applications and interviews is March 15 for Girls State and April 30 for Boys State.
“It does open you up to new ideas, new direction in life that you may have never even thought of or realized,” David Ridenour said.
To sign up for Girls State, click here, for Boys State, click here.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-02-20 17:35:00
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