A Week at Girls State - Program Information
Girls State was first held in Oregon in 1940 and has been an exceptional youth leadership experience ever since. Participants, known as “citizens” during the week, travel to Willamette University’s beautiful Salem campus for a week of political and leadership training, team-building, and mentorship.
Oregon Girls State is a program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Oregon.
Program Description
Girls State is not just any one-week summer program -- It is an experience that will change your life. You will learn about yourself, your state and your desires for the future. We build leaders through inspiration, motivation and experience. Girls State is a unique opportunity to explore your leadership style, develop your skills and knowledge, and learn how to use them going forward.
Girls State includes a variety of program elements such as primary and general elections, state legislature, mock trial, leadership workshops, lobbying, a Capitol tour, debates and journalism. We also have a number of other activities throughout the week, including physical activity time, team building, candlelighting ceremony, the Girls State follies, and an end-of-the-week party. We bring in a plethora of influential state leaders and high-ranking women to speak about their paths to success.
We hope that you walk away from your week with a greater appreciation of our great state and nation and an understanding of how you can make a difference.
- Click here for description of activities and a look at a typical day at Girls State.
- Click here for a sample schedule.
Girls State establishes a mock government based on the laws of the state of Oregon. As a Girls State citizen you will be assigned to a housing unit representing a county. Elections will be held to fill a variety of county positions as well as state Senators and Representatives who will serve in the Girls State Legislature. You may also serve as a lobbyist or one of the journalists who publish three issues of the Girls State Journal.
On the state level, you may wish to run for Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Labor Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, one of seven Supreme Court Justices, or one of two Girls Nation Senators. The Governor and some of the officers elected in this summer’s session will return to preside at next summer’s session of Girls State.
In addition to the election process, you will have the opportunity to take part in a mock trial, several different workshops and a variety of other activities. You will participate in a candlelighting ceremony and a concert in the State Capitol Rotunda. General assemblies will have presentations from some of Oregon’s top elected officials as well as other inspirational speakers.
Girls Nation: Girls Nation is an American Legion Auxiliary program that will take place July 17 through 24, 2010 in Washington, DC. Two girls from each state are selected as Girls Nation Senators and will have the opportunity to learn about our federal government and meet many of our nation’s leaders. More information about Girls Nation (as well as Girls State) and be found at http://www.boysandgirlsstate.org. All Girls State participants are eligible to run for Girls Nation Senator.
Meet the Girls State Staff
Girls State is entirely staffed by volunteers. We have approximately 45 dedicated individuals who come from all across the United States each summer to help make this program possible. All of our staff members are former Girls State participants and/or Auxiliary members. More…
Please contact any member of the Girls State Commission for more information.
Sondra Lino, Director For Participant info sondral@centurytel.net
Cherita Potter For ALA info tcpotter@theoregonshore.com
Sarah Mariani For Staff info s.e.mariani@att.net
Oregon Girls State is a program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Oregon.
Program Description
Girls State is not just any one-week summer program -- It is an experience that will change your life. You will learn about yourself, your state and your desires for the future. We build leaders through inspiration, motivation and experience. Girls State is a unique opportunity to explore your leadership style, develop your skills and knowledge, and learn how to use them going forward.
Girls State includes a variety of program elements such as primary and general elections, state legislature, mock trial, leadership workshops, lobbying, a Capitol tour, debates and journalism. We also have a number of other activities throughout the week, including physical activity time, team building, candlelighting ceremony, the Girls State follies, and an end-of-the-week party. We bring in a plethora of influential state leaders and high-ranking women to speak about their paths to success.
We hope that you walk away from your week with a greater appreciation of our great state and nation and an understanding of how you can make a difference.
- Click here for description of activities and a look at a typical day at Girls State.
- Click here for a sample schedule.
Girls State establishes a mock government based on the laws of the state of Oregon. As a Girls State citizen you will be assigned to a housing unit representing a county. Elections will be held to fill a variety of county positions as well as state Senators and Representatives who will serve in the Girls State Legislature. You may also serve as a lobbyist or one of the journalists who publish three issues of the Girls State Journal.
On the state level, you may wish to run for Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Labor Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, one of seven Supreme Court Justices, or one of two Girls Nation Senators. The Governor and some of the officers elected in this summer’s session will return to preside at next summer’s session of Girls State.
In addition to the election process, you will have the opportunity to take part in a mock trial, several different workshops and a variety of other activities. You will participate in a candlelighting ceremony and a concert in the State Capitol Rotunda. General assemblies will have presentations from some of Oregon’s top elected officials as well as other inspirational speakers.
Girls Nation: Girls Nation is an American Legion Auxiliary program that will take place July 17 through 24, 2010 in Washington, DC. Two girls from each state are selected as Girls Nation Senators and will have the opportunity to learn about our federal government and meet many of our nation’s leaders. More information about Girls Nation (as well as Girls State) and be found at http://www.boysandgirlsstate.org. All Girls State participants are eligible to run for Girls Nation Senator.
Meet the Girls State Staff
Girls State is entirely staffed by volunteers. We have approximately 45 dedicated individuals who come from all across the United States each summer to help make this program possible. All of our staff members are former Girls State participants and/or Auxiliary members. More…
Please contact any member of the Girls State Commission for more information.
Sondra Lino, Director For Participant info sondral@centurytel.net
Cherita Potter For ALA info tcpotter@theoregonshore.com
Sarah Mariani For Staff info s.e.mariani@att.net