On Monday, November 1st West Liberty High School Sophomore Amerie Alvarado and Junior John Quinones Centeno attended Iowa Youth Congress Mock Congress at the Capitol Building in Des Moines. Each year Iowa Youth Congress (IYC) seeks up to 100 Iowa high school students to participate in the year-long program. IYC provides these students with hands-on education in civic engagement, advocacy, democracy, and state government teaching them how to advocate and enact change in their communities, and their state.
Amerie reports "While attending Mock Congress students were able to sit in the senate chamber and debate our bills using the actual voting machine. Unfortunately, the Muscatine bill that I worked on didn't pass by 2 votes. About half of the other bills passed." Amerie will be working on the Education Committee moving forward. She is looking forward to working on bills for Mental Health Curriculum and Sexual Violence Prevention.
We are so proud of Amerie and John as they continue to work with Iowa Youth Congress to learn about state and local government and how to advocate for change! For more information on Iowa Youth Congress you can visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights website at https://humanrights.iowa.gov/i....
2021 Iowa Youth Congress students: John Quinones Centeno is pictured in the 4th row on the far left directly in front of the statue; Amerie Alvarado is also in the 4th row, 5th from the left.
Amerie Alvarado in the Iowa State Capitol Law Library