Story and Illustration by Lindley Johnson, Shakopee; Edited by Lale Akkin, Mounds Veiw
Youth in Government is an amazing activity for students and schools around the state, providing a hands-on and interactive experience of how the U.S. government works and instilling life skills such as public speaking, leadership, and collaboration. Because of these attributes, it is no wonder delegations can get large with time. One example of this is the Shakopee Delegation, which holds the title of the largest delegation this year after growing over the last four years after the COVID-19 pandemic. With a total of 123 registered delegates, it can quickly become difficult to organize delegation meetings and get settled at the start of the conference, so the delegation leaders have developed ways to make their jobs easier and handle the stress that comes with the responsibility.
Shakopee’s advisor, Jennifer Tabios, affectionately known as “Tabs” by her delegates, says a delegation of this size comes with both unique challenges and benefits. “Obviously we have a lot of kids so it’s a lot of parents, a lot of moving parts all with individual concerns, but the kids who join YIG are self-sufficient, organized, and responsible,” she said, with a proud gaze at the Shakopee leadership team around her. Emphasizing the advantages, Tabios shares her belief that a larger delegation creates a strong sense of community. It also allows for flexibility in students’ schedules, giving them the ability to move on to other activities while knowing they can always return to YIG with full acceptance.
Tabios attributes the delegation’s success not to herself, but to the Shakopee steering committee and upperclassman. As a student-led organization, YIG at Shakopee flourishes when older students reach out to younger ones as role models and inspiration, both in recruitment and weekly meetings. In addition to letting students take charge, she has another recommendation for other delegation leaders. “Eighth graders are also a key for us. Not all school districts bring eighth graders, and eighth grade is where you can scoop them in and then they’re committed through high school,” Tabios said.
The Shakopee delegation uses community and support as the backbone of their YIG experience, and the compassion between students has paid off. So, if other YIG delegations are looking to expand their numbers, all they have to do is take a page from Shakopee’s book and look within themselves first.