On Wednesday, March 22nd, State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) welcomed high school students from the 37th Senate District to the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to learn more about the state’s legislative process as part of his Youth Advisory Council (YAC) program.
“My spring Youth Advisory Council Day is one of my very favorite and most exciting days while at our state Capitol,” said Sen. Stoller. “It is truly my pleasure to welcome these high school students to Springfield and give them a glimpse of our government in action. It’s important to remember that these kids are our future leaders. We want them to know that we need leaders to get involved in our communities and hopefully this program encourages them to do that.”
Sen. Stoller’s YAC program allows local high school students to learn more about government through two meetings held each school year. During the fall meeting, students heard from local leaders and had the opportunity to discuss issues important to them.
During last week’s meeting, students got an up-close experience of the legislative process by attending two different Illinois Senate committee hearings. In addition to attending Senate hearings, students were able to visit the Senate floor and meet with state leaders, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
“When we are in classrooms, it’s a lot harder to see exactly how things happen,” said Illinois Valley Community High School Student Michael Conklin. “We get the general understanding and theory on how things work, but I didn’t truly understand how bills are made and what senators actually do with their time. This was a great opportunity for me to witness the behind-the-scenes action that goes into making the bills and laws that apply to every aspect of my life.”
Sen. Stoller’s YAC program is open to high school students in the 37th Senate District each year. He encourages interested students to ask their teachers and/or principals about taking part in the future.
